Better Ways to Self Destruct
by Bekki Beekeeper
Summary: Jack O'Neill hates politics. He especially hates politics when it involves planets intent on self destruction. Maybe he should have given up on SG1's next mission when he had the chance... Team mission fic with SJ UST. Complete!
1. Politics

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct _(aka 'Politics...Oy')_  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack in later parts  
**Feedback:** Very much appreciated, of course!  
**Notes:** This isn't directly S/J in the first couple of parts, but it'll get there, so keep that in mind. It's primarily a mission, though.

**Disclaimer:** _Stargate SG-1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

**–Part 1–**  
_Politics_

"Every time!" Colonel Jack O'Neill exclaimed as he strode down the ramp into the waiting Gate Room. "Every time, General."

General Hammond raised his eyebrows enquiringly at the rest of SG-1 as they followed their leader away from the giant metal ring that was the Stargate. Daniel Jackson took it upon himself to explain.

"Jack feels that all civilisations we meet with our level of development are intent on--"

"Blowing themselves up, sir!" Jack snapped, his irritation passing the point of public safety. "It's an intergalactic cold war out there."

"I take it your mission to P2C-293 didn't go well?" Hammond enquired calmly. He was too used to O'Neill's outbursts to be fazed by them.

"Oh, it went just _fine_, sir," the Colonel answered with more than a hint of sarcasm.

"On the contrary, O'Neill," Teal'c observed, "the mission to Merniva was far from yielding."

Jack shot him a look. Sam Carter hastily added, "They were too busy with their own affairs to pay much attention to what we had to offer, except for weapons technology."

"And we sure as _hell_ weren't going to give them any of _that_," O'Neill expressed furiously. "They wouldn't even let Carter into their so-called defence labs. They wouldn't listen to Daniel when he told them about the aid we could offer."

Daniel nodded seriously. "Apparently their government was only willing to trade for 'offensive purposes'."

"I'll give them offensive…"

"Colonel," Hammond warned. O'Neill fell into a resentful silence. "I think you all need to wind down," the General went on to the team at large. "I'm giving you two hours before you have to debrief. Dismissed."

Jack left the Gate Room first, muttering, "Politics…oy."

That was the beginning of the whole thing, Sam Carter was to reflect later. Not the mission itself – they were getting used to stumbling into difficult political situations offworld – but the mounting frustration. It wasn't only Colonel O'Neill that was finding it all too much, though he was more willing to show it than the others were. Daniel was unable to understand the common trait of self-destruction; Carter herself was finding it difficult that the help she could offer with defences was being dismissed so airily; and Teal'c…who knew what Teal'c thought, other than his clear contempt at the self-interested behaviour of the alien governments.

"It's as if there's a fundamental trend in this kind of society," Daniel was saying as they walked away from a thoroughly demoralising debriefing. It had served only to heighten their sense of infuriation with their latest mission. "Maybe international tension is inevitable, like civil war. It has to occur sometime in history for progression to take place."

"No such tension has ever occurred on Chulak," Teal'c disputed calmly. "Nor have I heard of civil war on any Jaffa world."

"No offence, Teal'c," Daniel answered, "but places like Chulak are at a standstill. Jaffa societies can't progress, the Goa'uld are making sure of that."

Teal'c inclined his head in thoughtful concession.

"I think Teal'c has a point, though," Sam said. "There must be societies that don't come under a generic heading like that."

Jack, who was striding meaningfully ahead of them, said over his shoulder, "I'm sure this is all very _intriguing,_ theorising about the nature of the human race, but it's _no longer our problem_. We offered to help. They wouldn't listen."

Sam and Daniel exchanged uneasy looks at Jack's forceful apathy. A statement like that could only mean he was angry at himself for not being able to persuade the political powers on Merniva to pursue peaceful relations. He would hold himself responsible for any consequences of their continued war on innocent lives.

They dispersed: Sam and Daniel to their labs, Teal'c to his quarters and Jack to the firing range.

The team's frustrations could only grow in the time they were given between that mission and the next. Colonel O'Neill was irritable – so much so that Hammond threatened to have him up for court martial for counts of gross insubordination.

"I just want a _mission_, General!" O'Neill exclaimed, appearing to ignore the stern words that had just been bellowed from Hammond's lips.

"And you'll get one, Colonel," the General replied, "but you damn well better be patient."

It was telling how much O'Neill craved action that he snatched the first hospitable planet that was found by the dialling computer. It was a small world, with a cool climate and a moon that was only visible for a third of the year. He regretted the decision to embark as soon as the team arrived.

The sky was grey. Drizzle made the air seem dense; the ground was soft with recent rainfall. O'Neill gave the grass a disgusted look as it fastened itself around his boots. He tugged one foot away from the stuff and found it released him after a brief struggle.

"Careful of the grass," Jack muttered before moving to safer ground.

"Uh, Colonel?" Carter began, "I don't think that's actually grass…"

"Hey guys!" Daniel's voice distracted them from the unpleasant possibilities of the now gently convulsing ground at the base of the Stargate. "I found a road!"

"Are you sure it's a road?" Jack asked warily as he approached, Sam and Teal'c close behind.

"Yes," replied Daniel, looking between his team mates for an explanation of the strange question. Getting no response, he continued: "It's pretty well travelled, and look – not just a mud track!"

"Meaning?"

"Meaning whoever built it are relatively advanced in their engineering, sir." Sam seemed to be just as fascinated by the road as Daniel was, but Jack knew it would be for an entirely different reason. It always amazed him how his second-in-command could make the science of anything sound incredible. He didn't get it himself, but it was fun to watch her try and persuade him how important something might be.

This time, he stopped her short. She was talking about history for some reason, and they seemed to be getting side-tracked by Romans. "Let's see where it goes," he said, then added in an almost sing-song voice: "Follow the road, the yellow brick road…"

The mood seemed to lighten slightly as they walked. Daniel began to offer Jack theories of what civilisation might be ahead; the Colonel cast a pleading glance over to Carter, who grinned and came to 'rescue' him with atmospheric readings. Daniel dropped back to impress upon Teal'c the potential significance of road building.

"…the low visibility, which is probably due to–"

"Carter." Jack cut her off. "He's gone now. You can stop."

Sam gave a feigned look of surprise. "You mean you weren't really interested in the proximity of the planet to the outer layer of its atmosphere?"

"What do you think?" he shot back. There was a playful glint in his eye; she caught it and chuckled.

"Glad to be offworld again, sir?"

"You have no idea," Jack smiled and stretched, emphasising the open plains that surrounded them. "Sorry if I was snappy at you before we left. Goodness knows how I escaped the wrath of the General."

"I guess he must understand how we feel after missions like our last," Sam replied; "not that this trip has turned up much action yet."

"Ahh, patience, Carter," O'Neill smiled: "there's still time for things to go drastically wrong."


	2. Toxic Shelter

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct _(aka 'Politics...Oy')_  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack in later parts  
**Summary:** Something smells bad, and it isn't Daniel Jackson's feet... (sorry, couldn't resist -_g_-)  
**Feedback:** Please respond – I need to know if people are reading :) 

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

–**Part 2–  
**_Toxic Shelter_

They had been walking for the best part of an hour when Colonel O'Neill stopped them. The sun was climbing behind them, bringing with it a muggy heat. Jack turned as the rest of his team took the opportunity to rest.

"So Daniel," he said, drumming his fingers impatiently upon the side of his gun, "where's this great civilisation you keep going on about? Are they _invisible_?"

Daniel cast his gaze over the featureless curve of the horizon. "I don't know, Jack," he said evenly.

"I don't think they're invisible, sir," Carter offered, assessing the possibility by reading the measurements on her hand-held probe. "There are no energy signatures strong enough to be attributed to any technologically advanced settlement."

"Maybe the main city is further on," Daniel suggested, excitement animating his face once again, "and we're passing villages, instead."

"I'm not sure, Daniel," Sam answered: "even if the villages weren't generating their own power, they would need a huge energy supply to remain artificially invisible."

"There are races that we can't see," Daniel persisted, "like… like the ree'tou."

"In another phase," Sam added thoughtfully.

"I was being sarcastic!" O'Neill exclaimed loudly, waving his hands to stop them. "There's nothing here."

"There's a road," Daniel pointed out.

"O'Neill."

Jack turned as the stoic Teal'c called for his attention. In the distance, the opaque mist was lifting, and Teal'c extended his arm to indicate what he saw. A great, billowing mass was rising, forming an immense blanket they had mistaken for cloud. The wind was picking up, dragging the thick smoke through the air towards them with a heavy sense of foreboding.

"Stay alert," Jack muttered, and cautiously they advanced.

They followed the road, a sight of destruction gradually revealing itself before them. Piles of rubble were heaped against once-strong walls, marking out where tall structures once stood. Daniel drew a camcorder out of his bag and began filming; Carter kept a concerned eye on her instruments; Teal'c surveyed the scene with deep eyes. Jack kept a firm grip on his P-90.

Sam looked up from her probe as they halted at the entrance of the city.

"Colonel?"

"I know Carter – I smell it too."

Daniel's glance moved worriedly between them. "Smell what? What do you smell?"

"Death." Teal'c's monosyllabic response invoked a chill of dread in the archaeologist. O'Neill gestured for silence and directed Carter to the other side of the road. She approached the collapsed wall carefully and crouched, ready. Daniel ducked down behind her and from the road Teal'c raised his staff weapon.

_Now_.

Carter responded to her CO's signal and slipped inside the wall, trained eyes combing the charred terrain. O'Neill was finding cover a few feet away, stooped behind a pile of shattered bricks. Teal'c edged forward; Daniel followed, cursing softly as his camera caught the scale of the destruction. The whole city had been reduced to rubble.

O'Neill determined there was no immediate threat but warned his team to continue with caution. Once the area around them was secured, O'Neill turned to Carter.

"Report, Major?"

"Background levels of radiation are higher than they should be," she told him. "There's no real threat of heightened exposure but we shouldn't hang around too long if we can help it."

Jack nodded. "Daniel?"

"I don't know what you want me to say, Jack," Daniel replied, still preoccupied with the destroyed city around him. "Whoever did this didn't want anyone to survive it."

"And yet, no bodies," O'Neill observed.

"It's possible that they're buried beneath the rubble, sir," Carter replied, "or if the blast was strong enough…" Jack's look was enough to make her abandon the rest of her sentence.

"Alright," the Colonel said, "let's sweep for survivors. Teal'c, Daniel, follow the road. Carter, with me."

They moved through the city slowly, methodically, increasingly repulsed by the sickening stench that rose from all around. O'Neill and Carter conducted their search in mutual silence, whilst Daniel kept an intermittent commentary for his recordings. When he radioed through to Jack just over an hour later, the two Air Force officers jumped at the sound. It seemed wrong to hear a living voice amongst such desolation.

"Jack?"

"Go ahead, Daniel."

"We've found something."

"Care to elaborate on that?"

"Well, so far it just looks like a big hole in the ground," Daniel replied, "but Teal'c seems to think it might have been some kind of shelter."

"Stand by, we're on our way."

Some minutes later, the team was assembled at the entrance of the tunnel. Daniel was eyeing the deep darkness warily, whilst the others kept their weapons ready. They all knew the grim reality they could be met with if Teal'c's assessment of the place was right.

After a long moment, O'Neill said, "Let's find out what's down Alice's rabbit hole, shall we?"

And so they descended, one by one, O'Neill leading and Teal'c guarding the rear. They were forced to stoop, but as Carter observed, it had to have been designed for human passage.

"There must be some kind of hidden structure providing support," she said, mostly to herself; "otherwise this tunnel would have collapsed along with everything else."

They continued ever downwards, the smell of charred flesh rising towards them. Daniel pressed his sleeve over his mouth and nose; before long the others had done the same, unable to bear the malodour of suffering. Then their boots met with even ground.

"Oh, _man_!" O'Neill whispered. A beam from Carter's P-90 joined the light from his own weapon as she stepped down beside him. She uttered a slight gasp.

"What? What is it?" Daniel asked, hearing the reactions of his team mates. "Is it what Teal'c—oh no."

He and Teal'c were now beside the others, but Daniel turned away, appalled. The cavern that stretched out in front of them was filled with rows of bodies…and the smell to go with it.

"They must have thought they could escape the destruction down here," Sam breathed, the beam of her torch eerily illuminating the disfigured bodies of the burnt victims.

"A bomb shelter," Jack muttered.

"Wait." Daniel had turned back, though his camcorder was lowered. He was gazing at the orderly rows of corpses, stepping among them to catch a glimpse of how they had died. He would have frowned thoughtfully, but for his involuntary grimace at the sights and smells around him.

"Careful, Danny."

Daniel didn't reply to Jack's warning, instead leaning down towards two of the bodies. They were huddled together in a perfectly natural embrace. The archaeologist's mind reconstructed the scene of their demise, noticing the way her head rested so calmly on his shoulder, as if to sleep. Daniel moved along the line. The next man's arms were crossed over his chest. The woman beside him had done the same.

"It's a mass grave," Daniel mumbled, horrified. "Jack, they didn't come here for shelter. They came here expecting to die."

There was a disturbed silence. "Let's get out of here," O'Neill said at last. They did so with no will to argue.

Their minds reconstructed possibilities as they climbed, intensifying their perceptions, and by the time they reached the surface, they were fighting back waves of nausea. They took a moment to recover and though O'Neill and Teal'c refused to betray any sign of it, the dizziness they all felt was getting worse.

"It's too polluted," Sam said, breaking the silence out of necessity. "We have to leave now, sir. The smoke is releasing toxins and the radiation is climbing."

"We can't leave," Jack said after a moment. "Not yet."

"Can't leave?" Daniel repeated. "Jack, as much as I'd like to think there might be survivors…"

"Colonel." Sam resumed where Daniel had given up. "No-one could have survived. Not here. Ordinary bombs weren't used to destroy this city and the effects were uncompromising." She repeated, firmly: "Radiation is climbing. The air is getting worse. If we stay here much longer we risk getting poisoned."

Jack pursed his lips as he looked round his team. He already knew that he wouldn't expose them to that much risk, but it was a difficult thing to do if it meant abandoning hope for any survivors. He didn't like to leave people behind. His eyes came back to rest in Sam's gaze and he knew the gravity of the situation.

"What about outside the perimeter?"

"Still too close, Colonel. I'm sorry."

"Don't be, Carter." He was surprised by his own soft tone. "Let's head back to the Gate."

----------------------------

_It should have ended after we left the city_, Colonel O'Neill later wrote in his official mission report. _If we had headed straight back to the Stargate, it would have done. Instead Daniel found a path into the woods. Teal'c saw tracks. Carter said we were far enough away from the city for it to be safe so I made the decision to continue our search for survivors._

"How are those readings, Carter?"

"Getting better, sir: the risk is reducing as we get further away from the city."

Jack had been checking every few minutes, adamant that the moment there was a radiation increase they would be back at the Stargate, dialling home. Yet the other half of his mind was still desperate to find life on this post-war planet. There was a psychology to it that the others could only guess at as they walked along the winding forest path. On any other day the rationality of his military mind might have won – but as Sam watched him stride on ahead, she knew his thoughts were still fixed on Merniva.

It was this knowledge that meant she was making a conscious effort to keep herself totally alert. It wasn't that she didn't trust Colonel O'Neill's perceptions – his soldier instincts were rivalled only by those of Teal'c – but the nature of this mission was making her uneasy. There was something seriously wrong about the way those people had died.

Still, it wasn't her call and she refused to question Jack's decision.

A metallic clicking; the sweep of fabric on fabric.

Sam heard the sounds at the same moment Jack did and was already crouching by the time he gestured for the team to get down. Behind Sam, Daniel and Teal'c sank to the level of the brush on either side of the trail. They waited.

It was a good few minutes before any of them moved. Then Daniel, who had been waging a vicious war on the cramp in his knees, shifted for fear of toppling over into the sharp spikes on his right. The bare bush seemed to be just waiting for an opportunity to turn him into a human pincushion and the archaeologist had no choice but to shuffle to a better position.

The glare O'Neill sent back was deadly, but the movement seemed to reawaken his own desire to move. His hand-gestures instructed the others to stay put while he scouted ahead. Sam gave a quick nod and Jack, keeping low, followed the path out of sight.

There was that clicking sound again. Sam tensed; that couldn't be good.

Then Jack O'Neill yelped. That _definitely_ wasn't good.

With a sharp gesture that was a silent yell for other two to stay back, Sam took off down the trail.

He had kept low. He had kept quiet. He had employed every method known to him to tread undetected, but he couldn't have known the sensors were able to lock onto his body heat. Suddenly the clicking had begun again, gaining speed, powering up; a curious sensation of being unable to move his neck; then a strike of lightening straight into his eyes, causing him to cry out with pain and sheer surprise.

The numbness was spreading down from his neck along his spine…  
He couldn't move, he couldn't think…  
It was getting more and more difficult to breathe…

Sam kept running until Jack came into sight: his back to her, she was alarmed to find him gasping for breath. His ruggedly handsome features were contorted in pain and he was slowly sinking to his knees. A blinding energy beam bombarded his eyes, penetrating his forehead.

"Colonel!"

No response, none at all. With a sickening lurch in her stomach, Sam realised that thing was _killing_ him.

Daniel and Teal'c rounded the corner just in time to see her make the dive. A scorching flash obscured the outcome; but after that, both Colonel and Major were gone from sight and sound.

"Woah, woah, what just happened? Where'd they go?"

Daniel was staring at the scene in alarm. Only seconds before his friends and team mates had been present in the clearing; then Sam had launched herself at Jack's sunken form and…

"They are no longer here with us," Teal'c observed, frowning deeply.

Daniel opened a radio channel – "Jack, Sam, come in!" – but with no response.

Teal'c was surveying the area warily. "It would be unwise to remain here, Daniel Jackson. It is unsafe. We must return to Earth immediately."

Daniel wasn't going to argue with that. His friends had just disappeared from in front of him and he was pretty certain that whatever had just beamed them up wasn't a benevolent force. If the look on Sam's face was anything to go by, Jack had been in serious trouble. They would need reinforcements for this: one of the search and rescue units, a UAV, some extra supplies. A doctor.

"You can't get through, you know."

Daniel jumped violently. He span on his heel to find a gaunt young girl gazing mournfully up at him. She had been so light-footed that Teal'c had turned only a second before she had spoken. His weapon was trained on her but she was ignoring it.

"Can't get through?" Daniel repeated carefully, frowning his confusion.

"The cosmic circle," she murmured dreamily.

"We have to," Daniel responded and explained: "we have to go home. Our friends—"

"You can't follow them, either," the girl sighed, staring at her bare, bony feet. "You'll die if you get any closer to the guard."

"Guard? What guard? Is there someone else here, someone else with you?"

Teal'c answered quietly: "I believe she speaks of the device that abducted Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter."

"Do you know what happened to our friends?" Daniel asked the native. "It's really important we find them, we think they're injured."

"You cannot follow them," the girl replied, looking away to hide a fearful tear. "If you do, you will surely die."

"Are you saying…" Daniel swallowed. "Are you saying they were killed by that guard device?"

"I've been sent for you," the girl said, emotionless now. "You must come."

"We cannot," Teal'c responded instantly. "We must retrieve our friends."

"How?"

"We shall find a way," the Jaffa asserted. Daniel looked less certain, shifting awkwardly from foot to foot.

"Teal'c, maybe she can help us," he said. "If there are other survivors, maybe they can tell us where to search."

Teal'c gazed thoughtfully into mid-distance then gave the slightest nod. Daniel eagerly prompted the girl to lead the way and, with a certain air of reluctance, Teal'c followed.


	3. Burnt Out

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct _(aka 'Politics...Oy')  
_**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Something smells bad, and it isn't Daniel Jackson's feet... (sorry, couldn't resist -_g_-)  
**Feedback:** Please respond – I need to know if people are reading :)

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

–**Part 3–  
**_Burnt Out_

_Okay_, thought Jack, _first of all: am I alive? …Yes. Good, that's a good start. Now. Am I hurt? …Ouch!… K, moving is a bad idea. The real question here, of course, is 'what just happened?'_

He replayed the events in his mind – the events he could remember, at least. He saw himself round the corner of the path, heard the clicking, felt himself sink to his knees as pain gripped him. He didn't care to recall the sensation itself: he had enough of a migraine to be getting on with already. If he hadn't been aware of the cause – a hidden device on an alien planet – he might well have assumed he was suffering from a particularly bad hangover. The headache and the nausea were certainly there. The only thing he didn't recognise was the fact that his eyes felt strangely extinguished, like burnt out light bulbs.

_So, big honking alien device equals grave pain for Jack O'Neill_, his thoughts continued, mimicking Daniel's habit of commentating to camera. _But how did said Colonel escape?_

He pondered that a while, until his thoughts came to rest (as they habitually did) on his second-in-command. _Ah. Yes. I remember now, thank you, Major_.

Despite the blur of his recollection, he could clearly remember the pressure of her body against his. He summoned the memory of Sam's slender hand curling round to shield his eyes as her deceptively strong arm fastened around his waist. She had pulled him sideways, out of the glare of the beam; but somehow they had been propelled forwards, Sam's arm still around him, her palm still protecting his eyes. Then they had been thrust backwards and his spine had crunched against solid rock.

He was beginning to wish the numbness would come back.

"Colonel?"

He heard Sam's voice and briefly wondered if he'd imagined it. It was certainly likely, considering the fact he still wasn't entirely sure he was totally conscious. He decided to test the theory that his imagination was talking to him with an experimental response.

"Gah!"

"Colonel!"

With a certain sense of satisfaction, he heard his 2IC breathe an open sigh of relief. Outwardly, he gave his best I'm-in-pain-but-I'm-too-manly-to-show-it grimace and tried to open his eyes.

"Um, Major," he began, "why is it so dark? I didn't pass out long enough so it's suddenly night, did I?" There was a painfully long pause. "Carter?"

"It's still day, sir," she said carefully, "and it's as light as it was five minutes ago."

"So what are you saying? We're inside, in a cave somewhere?" Even as he said it he could feel the hope draining from his words. He knew they were out in open woodland. There was a freedom in the way the air moved.

"Close your eyes, sir," Sam said at last. "Do you see a difference?"

He clenched his jaw. What he wanted to do more than anything at that moment was make a sarcastic comment about not being able to see with your eyes closed. Frustratingly, he knew there was no use in it. He couldn't lie, either: both of them would be at risk if his current abilities were overestimated.

"No," he muttered grudgingly.

"Colonel," Sam began regretfully, "I think the beam device damaged your eyes so much that --"

"Don't say it, Carter! I am not blind."

"Sir…"

"Not blind, Carter. I have a temporary visual impairment but I'm _not blind_."

She allowed the long pause to develop into an uncomfortable silence before belatedly replying, "Yes, sir."

"Now do me a favour and stop my eyeballs from burning a hole through my brain."

He heard the prompt tearing apart of velcro and the rustling of packaging. Then there was a trickle of water on the rocky floor. A moment later, Carter had pressed a damp section of bandage material over his eyes.

"Hold that in place, sir," she instructed. She brushed against the back of his hand as he obeyed; his skin ignored the cool of the material, prickling hotly.

"Thanks." He held his breath a moment, feeling the moisture seeping into his burnt skin. It was great relief yet still only mildly soothing: his eyes remained painfully closed to the world. He could feel them streaming and tried not to think about the damage that might have been done. He was _not_ blind.

"Tell Teal'c to go with Daniel back to the Gate and report to Hammond." It was partly for something to say and partly to regain control by giving orders. "We'll follow once my damn legs decide to co-operate. They feel like deadweight."

An ominous pause. He hated it when she didn't respond. It always – _always_ – meant something was wrong. Something she didn't want to tell him, news she didn't want to break.

"Carter! Will you stop it with the silent treatment?"

"Sorry, Colonel, it's just…" She trailed off, and for a moment it seemed that she had lapsed into quiet again. Then she took a breath and continued: "They're not here."

"Not here?"

"Or rather…_we're_ not here…sir."

"Carter!" he exclaimed, "stop talking gibberish at me!"

"Colonel, whatever attacked you transported us out of that clearing," Sam told him earnestly. "Sir, we're half way up a _mountain_."

"Major, I didn't see any mountains when we arrived."

"No, sir," Sam sighed. "Neither did I."

"Can you be sure we're on the same planet?"

"I think so, sir."

"Thinking so isn't being sure, Carter." He needed _some_thing to provide hope.

"I'm sure, Colonel," Sam replied, though this time she seemed unfocussed in her response. She was doing something. Jack tried to figure out what, came upon a dozen different possibilities and decided he might as well just ask.

"Carter? Y'alright?" He considered the sound of a packet being torn open. "Are you hurt?"

"No, sir," Sam lied as she bandaged up the searing burn on the back of her hand. The beam had been a powerful one. She made a conscious effort to lighten her tone and added a casual, "I'm fine."

"Okay, well…good."

They left it at that for a while. Jack listened as Sam checked the supplies. They were both relieved to find nothing missing: they should be able to survive for now. Getting back to the Stargate, however, was an entirely different – and for O'Neill very pressing – matter.

Carter left him for a while, went to check out the surroundings. Jack thought briefly about trying to raise the other two members of his team on the radio, but when he tried it, his only response was static. He cursed the useless hunk of plastic and just about resisted the urge to hurl it down the rocky slope that he knew stretched out beneath him.

He heard the crunching of boots on gravel and suddenly felt very unprotected. He grabbed his P-90 and held it ready, but lowered it a moment later when Carter spoke.

"Colonel, hold your fire," she said, though her words were heavy: "it's just me."

"Good. I was getting lonely." He could imagine her trying not to smile at that. He wasn't sure why she smiled at some of the things he said sometimes: maybe she understood the suggestive subtext. His serious hope that she didn't was mercilessly destroyed by her sly response.

"Can't let a man like you get lonely, Colonel."

Jack cleared his throat in surprise. Sam laughed a little; he smiled unintentionally.

She settled down beside him on the cold stone and he felt the need to prop himself up against the rock behind. There was a small silence. He sensed her gaze on his face, suddenly devoid of humour, waiting to speak.

"Say it, Carter."

"We're on a ledge held up by the trees," she sighed. "Below us is a sheer drop; above is a steep climb. No way up or down, sir."

"Any paths? Mountain trails? Give me something here, Carter."

"There's a path leading east, but…"

"We'll follow that, then," O'Neill decided cheerfully.

Sam hesitated in her response. In the end, she couldn't bring herself to dispute him, and just said, "Yessir."

Jack frowned. It worried him how swiftly she had gone from so wry to so low-spirited. She tended to be pretty stable emotionally and the mood shift was a sure sign of something else in play.

He tried to alleviate the tension in the air: "I can't believe I'm all the way up a mountain and I can't see the view."

"Want me to describe it to you, sir?"

He contemplated the offer. "Yes, Carter," he smiled; "I'd like that."

Sam hadn't meant for her hopelessness to be so apparent in her words. She usually tried to keep optimistic, especially around Colonel O'Neill, but as far as she could see, there was no way down. Trying to climb _over_ the mountain would be a gamble and the risks were far too high. Even if they made it, there was no guarantee they would be able to descend. The lack of oxygen would get to them in the end.

So, then, all that was left was following the path. She already knew that was an impassable route: it had been made a dead end by a rockslide. The hope Jack clung onto would be gone before the end of the day.

So as she painted the landscape in Jack's mind, she closed her eyes. She wanted to be as blind to the reality as he was. It was easier this way. Lovelier. She added colour, a few hills, a brilliant blue sky streaked with breath-taking cloud. He didn't ask how clouds could look like rainbows. He didn't question her as she described the shimmering ocean, the ancient shoreline, the soft-edged moon rising beside the proud-hearted sun.

He could feel the fog pressing against his skin and loved her for lying to him.


	4. Defenders

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct _(aka 'Politics...Oy')_  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Some people just refuse to be helpful.  
**Feedback:** Huge thanks to everyone who has reviewed, not just for this fic but for my others, too! It really does encourage me – and an encouraged Bekki means a happy Bekki, and a happy Bekki writes lots. –_g_–

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

**

* * *

**

–**Part 4–  
**_Defenders_

"You must stay – stay and eat. We don't have much, but surely you will stay?"

"We cannot."

It felt like he had been repeating those same two words ever since they had arrived. These people were either unconcerned for the welfare of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, or they believed them to be dead. Both behaviours were unacceptable.

There were few signs to show the intensity of Teal'c's frustration. Only Jack O'Neill could have deciphered the slight changes in Teal'c's expression, the subtle inflections in his tone. It had long since become second nature for the experienced warrior to suppress his emotions. "Let your desires rule you, Teal'c, and they will betray you to your enemies," his former Jaffa master had once told him. Still, this time it was getting very irksome. He wondered briefly whether Bra'tac's advice really applied to a handful of self-destructive refugees.

Teal'c cast his dark gaze across to Daniel, who stood negotiating on the other side of the cavern. The underground cave network was being used for shelter and the chamber in which Teal'c now stood was buzzing with nervous excitement. The Jaffa allowed the conversations and movement to go on around him, satisfied that as long as he remained stoic and severe, he would encounter no further disturbances. The small, squeaky man who had been trying to tempt Teal'c to eat took the opportunity to slip hastily away into the crowd; he collided with Daniel, laughed a nervous apology and darted off as quickly as he could.

Daniel raised his eyebrows in question.

"He was nominated by unanimous vote to attempt to persuade us to remain," Teal'c explained. "He failed in his assigned task."

Daniel pursed his lips, thoughtful gaze following the mouse-like man as he scurried out of the cavern.

"What have you discovered, Daniel Jackson?" There was a certain impatience hidden behind Teal'c's level tone.

"Oh, er… not a lot."

Teal'c raised his chin and Daniel continued: "Don't get me wrong, they've been very willing to tell me what they know, but as for what the device does…" He trailed off with a hopeless half-shrug. "From what I can tell they have no idea where the device took Jack and Sam, assuming that it didn't just…" He made a grim hand-gesture resembling a small explosion.

"It did not." Teal'c's voice was anchored by certainty. "It was indeed a transportation device."

"We can't be sure, Teal'c," Daniel reminded him.

"If the people here cannot enlighten us as to the location of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter, we must return to the Stargate," was Teal'c's response. Without waiting for a reply, he strode uncompromisingly towards the tunnel that led to the surface.

"Teal'c, we can't," Daniel called after him, but Teal'c, his patience expended, did not slow. Only when he stepped through into the tunnel did he hesitate.

"Do you refuse to listen even to your friend, sir?" The voice was frail, the question enough of a surprise to cause Teal'c to stop and turn. An elderly woman, leaning heavily upon a charred and blackened stick, surveyed him with watery eyes. Unabated by his cold stare, she prompted, "Well?"

"I have no time for excuses."

"And your friends have no time for mistakes," she observed calmly. "You cannot conduct a blind search: you will not find them; nor can you return to your world: the Circle is inaccessible and more time will be lost."

Daniel blinked at her through his lenses. "You know where they are?"

The age-worn woman shook her head slowly. "No," she said. "I know little…I am old."

"Well, you must know something," Daniel asserted, "otherwise you wouldn't have said anything."

She smiled at him. "You are an astute man, sir."

"Er – thanks."

Teal'c was impatient. "What information can you provide us on the location of our friends?"

"I know little," the woman replied, then raised her hand in anticipation of the strangers' protests. "However."

"However?" Daniel's voice was hopeful.

"However, I am willing to discuss matters my people fear to speak of. Come."

She spoke with an authority long ignored and Daniel could not bring himself to disobey; he helped the her to negotiate the uneven ground as Teal'c led the way restlessly toward the surface.

-------------------------

"Ready to move yet, Colonel?"

They had been sitting in restful quiet and Sam had left it as long as she could. Now she was getting anxious that if light began to fade, they were stranded with no cover. If they were to survive the night, they had to find shelter.

"Yeahsureyoubetcha."

Carter let her smile strengthen her voice. "Let me help you up, sir."

O'Neill grumbled something about not being seventy just yet, for cryin' out loud. Still, even he couldn't be sure on his feet when he couldn't see the ground on which he was standing. He felt for Carter's outstretched arms.

"I'm up," he announced a few moments later, "I'm up."

Sam's grasp on his shoulders remained strong for a second longer. Then she released him – a little reluctantly – and he smiled triumphantly.

"Piece o' cake!" he exclaimed. "Which way now, Major? Hey, we could do that game – you know. Five steps forward, turn ninety degrees to the right, forward five more steps…"

"Colonel." Her voice demanded seriousness. "Trust me when I say this isn't going to be easy. One wrong step, sir…"

"Spoil-sport," Jack muttered. "So how are we planning to play this? I knew there was a reason I should've sponsored a guide dog."

"I think that the best way would be for you to put your hands on my shoulders, sir, and follow me."

"Sounds like a good plan."

"I hope so, sir."

He heard her boots crunching on the gravel as she turned on the spot in front of him. He held his arms straight out in front of him and felt her warm fingers guide his hands to her curved shoulders. He gripped firmly.

"Lead the way, Major."

She took it slowly, as he knew she would. One step a time. She could be as methodical as Daniel when she needed to be; other times, she could be as quick to react as Teal'c. Slowly, through many cautious steps on a slight decline, he fell into rhythm behind her. His thoughts wandered.

He had her at arm's length. He could visualise her in front of him, the back of her neck visible as she concentrated carefully on the uneven ground they were treading. Her shoulders had started off as tense, consciously kept level; now they relaxed beneath his hold. She wore the same bulky backpack of supplies as he did, keeping him at a distance. It was as if all those military regulations and carefully devised 'reasons why not' had materialised in front of him, preventing him from getting any closer. For years he had been forced to hold Sam Carter at arm's length. One day he'd wrap those arms around her and–

"Argh!"

"Colonel!"

He'd stumbled, foolishly consumed by his preoccupation with his second-in-command. "I'm good," he said quickly, "I'm okay."

"Colonel, you almost fell!" There was a shade of panic in her voice and for some reason that irritated him.

"Yes, _thank _you, Carter, because I hadn't been _aware_ of that at all." It was enough that he couldn't see, without feeling like a liability – which, of course, he was. "Let's get back to it, shall we?"

Sam touched his hand. He fell quiet. It wasn't the touch alone but the silence in which she did it, the way her shoulders were rigid again that told him something was wrong. Keeping one hand on Carter's shoulder, Jack slowly unclipped his sidearm.

There was a sound behind him, a sound so slight he almost missed it; but he wasn't one for missing things, not when lives could be at stake. Their lives.

Then his arm was raised, the safety was off, his finger was tense on the trigger.

"Another step and I'll blow you clear off this mountain," he growled to the assailant he couldn't see. There was a pause. Adrenaline was running high in O'Neill's system and he knew there was someone there. Knew it. Less than six feet away. Had to be.

Then: "Colonel?"

It was at that moment he knew it was over. He heard that waver in Carter's voice and understood it. She only spoke like that when they were outnumbered, outgunned and surrounded.

Reluctantly, he lowered his pistol.

----------------------------------

It was only when they surfaced, only when they reached the open air that Daniel became aware of the smell again. _That smell_. How he had ever forgotten its potent presence he could not fathom, but out amongst the trees the stench of human destruction was oppressive to the point of nausea. It brought back images of those bodies, conjured up the horror of their tomb. Daniel was no stranger to human remains, but that scene had been unspeakable.

He turned his attention back to their elderly guide. All she had told them once out of the caves was her name; now on level ground, Sarai strode meaningfully ahead. Daniel fought to keep up with her but his desperate questions were persistently ignored. Teal'c walked on behind, detached and resigned. If this delay resulted in his friends' deaths, he would not forgive these people.

At last Daniel gave up his torrent of questions. Much to both his and Teal'c's frustration, Sarai spoke as soon as he had fallen silent.

"As you have undoubtedly already found out, we are the last survivors of a devastating war," she said. "That war destroyed our civilisation twenty-eight years ago – still we do not know what became of our enemies."

"Twenty-eight days," Daniel corrected.

"That is not what I said, Doctor Jackson." Firmly, she repeated: "Twenty-eight years."

"That is impossible," Teal'c stated with authority.

"And what would you know of it, stranger?" Sarai enquired calmly. There was no offence in her tone.

"The bodies my friends and I uncovered," responded Teal'c, "had only recently expired."

Sarai raised fine white eyebrows. Anxious not to offend the only woman who seemed to want to help them – but at the same time wondering if she still had control over all her faculties – Daniel explained,

"Teal'c just means that it can't have been long since those people… passed away."

"No more than three or four weeks," Teal'c assured her.

Daniel added: "But not twenty-eight _years_, right, Teal'c?"

"Correct."

When Sarai responded, the twinkle in her eye reminded Daniel of a certain glowing entity he had once encountered. "Just because the fire still burns," Sarai said, "must that always mean the flames kindled yesterday?"

_If this is one of those candle-lit, meal cooked long ago riddles_, Daniel thought, _I'm gonna scream._

Aloud, he said: "Okay, well, I guess it doesn't matter _when_ it all happened… we just really, really need to find our friends, so if you can tell us anything…"

"Daniel Jackson!"

The urgency in Teal'c's voice caused Daniel to turn instantly towards his Jaffa companion. That kind of shout was always what Daniel liked to call a 'look or duck' yell, and either action tended to lead to fairly serious revelations. His muscular friend was pointing with a steady arm through the gradually thinning trees. Daniel cursed softly.

Perhaps Teal'c had realised beforehand, but Daniel certainly hadn't: they had been walking parallel to the road, and now the trees were thin enough to see across to the opposite plains. They couldn't have been far from the original track they had found – the Stargate was in sight some yards away – but the view could not have been more different. An imposing metal barricade obscured their vision, stretching along the very centre of the road's length.

Teal'c ventured forward to the edge of the trees. Drawing a flare from his pack, he triggered it; it erupted into a life of heat and sparks, and when Teal'c hurled it towards the road, it lit their eyes with a spectacular explosion.

"This barrier appears to be a defence system of some kind," Teal'c observed calmly. Daniel tried to blink away the floating patch of brightness that had invaded his field of vision and turned to Sarai.

"That wasn't there when we got here," he said, though he had a suspicion she already knew this. "There wasn't _anything_ when we got here! Just, just the Stargate and the DHD…" He trailed off. "This is why we can't go back through – the others knew but were too afraid to tell us why we couldn't go home."

Sarai inclined her head gravely.

"How did this obstruction come to be here in such a short amount of time?" Teal'c wanted to know.

"Your friends activated one of our defence systems," Sarai answered; "inadvertently, I know, but they activated it nonetheless. It is how we came to know of your presence here. We sent our youngest out in the hope that whoever now walked through our land would have heart enough to spare a child."

"And if we had not?" Teal'c asked gruffly. "None should send out a child as bait."

"My granddaughter was not used as _bait_," Sarai responded, and for the first time her words shook slightly with emotion. It was anger. "She was protected, more than you know! I saw to it myself!"

Teal'c matched her gaze and for a long while it seemed neither would back down. Then, softly, Teal'c offered his apology. She took it. Daniel moved the conversation on hastily.

"I still don't understand how any of that made this huge fence suddenly materialise," he said. "We were walking along that road less than an hour ago."

"Our defences were dormant. You came; they reactivated. The barricade automatically reassembled itself underground as soon as you came through your Stargate."

"And when Jack activated that device, it…popped up?" Daniel guessed. "That's incredible."

Teal'c had no such fascination. To Sarai he was expectant: "You have not yet explained to us where our friends have been taken."

Sarai nodded slowly and made her way towards a protruding root at the base of one of the many trees. With the help of Daniel, she lowered herself down to sit. Then she gave Teal'c his answer.

"We developed a method of defending ourselves without killing our enemy infiltrators," she began.

"Without killing," Daniel echoed when she sighed heavily, "without killing is good."

"The wall would kill, as you have seen, but the outposts… the outposts were meant for asserting our humane values upon our enemies. If it were possible, we would not kill."

Teal'c questioned: "How, then, may such harmless technology be called on for defence?"

"I did not say they were harmless," Sarai replied. "First, they blind with great pain. Then, they erase the memories of their victims. Lastly, they transport the disabled conscripts back to their mountainous homeland. If there is an attempt made to withdraw the victim from the beam of the device, they are instantly transported, no matter their condition. This may be fortunate, allowing for only mild visual impairment; other times it would result in fatality. Memory alteration interferes with the brain, sirs, and the mind is always a dangerous place."

She let the silence hang ominously in the air. Then she continued: "Our enemies were barbaric in my people's eyes. They killed every one of our soldiers; so, in wishing to evoke guilt within their nation, we returned their spies to them. Yet they were disabled and useless. Humane? I think not."

"But you didn't kill them," Daniel insisted.

"And what good did that do? What good do you see here?"

Daniel glanced at Teal'c. The Jaffa looked soberly back at him, and he knew neither of them could provide an answer.

The stench still hung unyielding in the air.


	5. Acrobatics

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Jack and Sam deal with accusations of trespassing; meanwhile, Teal'c needs to find a way to dial home.  
**Feedback:** Please keep reviewing! I love hearing from you all.  
_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

–**Part 5–  
**_Acrobatics_

"Colonel?" Carter said again. It was a question this time; though his vision was impaired, she was certain his judgement was still sound. He was her superior and she was trusting in his instinct for direction.

"Find a way for us to survive, Major."

"Yes sir." Sam surveyed the four men, standing in two rows in front of them, shoulder-to-shoulder. A woman blocked their retreat, weapon trained on O'Neill. Warily, Sam lowered her P–90 an inch or so. Jack's grip was tight on her shoulder.

"We were transported here by accident," she called to their ambush. "We need to find a way down – can you help us?"

Not how Jack would have done it, but then again he'd never been good at asking for directions.

"This is Triyan territory," one of the men responded. "There is no place for the Dueteri here."

"We're explorers," Sam called back. "We came through the Stargate."

"Oh, well, if you came through the _Stargate_…" the woman behind muttered. Sam glanced back at her; the young twenty-something accompanied offered a sarcastic half-smile.

"Hey," Jack interjected, "we did!"

"And in what way, exactly, is that supposed to convince us to trust you?"

"Well, it's the truth, for a start," Jack snapped. "Besides, do you actually think we _wanted_ to be beamed up to this darned mountain?"

"Sir," Sam warned. She was still acutely aware of the number of weapons currently threatening their position. Jack hadn't forgotten, but his annoyance overcame any thoughts of diplomacy. Playing the sarcastic cynic was _his_ gig.

"Whatever," he muttered. "Look: we saw what it was like down there when we arrived. Now from the looks of it you guys were fighting a pretty heady war around here, and I'm guessing there are a lot of hard feelings still – but we're not, I repeat _not_, involved in that. So, fellas, I think we'll just be on our way."

"And where will you go?" jeered one of the younger men. "A blind man and his guide."

Jack's grip became so tight on Sam's shoulder that it was painful.

"Didn't anyone ever tell you," Carter responded, "never to underestimate a potential enemy? I assume you're in a military of some kind." The looks they exchanged were telling. Though Jack didn't see them, he found great satisfaction in Sam's next words. "No? Well, I'm afraid we're trained to do a lot more than taunt our enemies, so unless you want to put that to the test I propose we all lower our weapons."

An uncomfortable silence. One of those silences that always made Jack O'Neill feel slightly smug, when it was only a matter of time until their opponents gave because the scumbags _knew_ their card had just been majorly trumped.

_Heh. Major-ly.  
__Bad joke, Jack._

He heard the lowering of weapons, felt Carter bring her P–90 down in a characteristically smooth motion. His own pistol remained in hand, relaxed at his side. The safety was off, but they didn't know that.

"Now, isn't this better?" he remarked with a distinctly condescending air. "Let's start simple. I'm Colonel Jack O'Neill. This is Major Carter. We are peaceful explorers from a planet called Earth. We came through the Stargate – big, silvery ringy thing, you'd know it if you saw it."

"We just need to get back there," Carter added. "We didn't come here looking for a fight."

"See? Peaceful."

Sam watched as the men ahead turned to each other in muted discussion. It was concluded by the most subdued of the four, who simply remarked, "The war ended a long time ago."

"You say you are peaceful," the first of them said, turning back to address Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter. "We will help you – if you help us. A trade deal."

The woman behind Jack and Sam snorted loudly. They ignored her.

"What kind of help?" O'Neill asked.

"Our people have been living in the mountains for some time, Colonel. Our supplies are beginning to run low and our technology is failing."

"What kind of technology?" enquired Sam.

"Down, girl," Jack muttered wryly into her ear.

"We will show you," another of the men offered.

"What," O'Neill responded, "you mean you're actually going to trust us?"

A pause. Then: "Yes."

"Sweet."

----------

Teal'c moved with precise care towards the Stargate. He had determined that the armed barrier could be overcome but was clearly not without risk. He suggested Daniel should take Sarai back to the caves; the archaeologist had protested, unwilling to leave his friend; now, he and Sarai watched from a safe distance.

"He has courage," Sarai remarked, her eyes following Teal'c as he ducked out of sight.

"Yeah," Daniel agreed, his sense of trepidation evident in his voice. "Truth is, my friends and I wouldn't be here without his courage. Same applies to a lot of other people, too."

"Yet you keep fighting," Sarai observed, "keep risking your lives. For a noble cause, I trust?"

Daniel smiled. "We fight for a reason, yeah."

"Of course you do," Sarai answered with a gracious nod. "I simply hope it is a cause or threat sufficient enough to put you in the path of such peril."

"Yeah," Daniel sighed, "trust me when I say that it is."

Sarai fell silent a moment, her ancient eyes sweeping sadly over her much-loved homeland. "Many lives were lost here," she reflected. "Many lives."

Daniel tried to summon a suitable response, but could find no answer to the despair in her eyes. He took a deep breath: the air seemed to be clearing. Glancing up at the sky, he muttered, "The smog's lifting."

"Smog?" Sarai enquired curiously.

"Oh, er, it's the word we use for smoke and fog, means a cloud of pollution."

"I see. Well, Doctor Jackson–"

"Please," he interjected, "I'd much prefer 'Daniel'."

"–I am afraid you are mistaken. The haze moves because of the wind but it never lifts. It has held its place in our heavens for twenty-eight years and it rests heavy on our shoulders still."

"That cloud has been here for all that time?"

"Ever since the city was destroyed, yes."

Another solemn silence as Daniel looked towards the source of the smog. He shook his head, unable to comprehend the scale of the lasting damage.

"Why haven't you tried to rebuild?" he asked. She did not answer. Daniel dropped his head and wondered if Teal'c had succeeded in contacting the SGC.

---------------

The road was an important factor in Teal'c's estimation. The light and heat intensity of the flare had caused the barrier's defences to respond – presumably designed to repel weapons fire – but luckily body heat didn't appear to be enough to set it off. Movement didn't seem to be a factor and sound he kept to a minimum; therefore, logically, the only other sensor would be pressure.

Whether or not the road did act as a huge pressure-pad, Teal'c was unwilling to take the risk. He skirted round it on the verge but the grass was becoming more and more resistant, pulling on his boots. He moved swiftly to prevent the ground gaining a permanent purchase on his steps and, his staff weapon strapped firmly onto his back, kept cautious.

Teal'c soon came to realise that the strip of grass – or whatever it was that formed the verge – was becoming narrower. The ground on his left was gradually rising and ahead Teal'c could see that it began to form a slope upon which the tree line perched. He could not afford to stop moving: he had to decide now whether or not to risk following the road further.

As the bank rose up beside him, instinct told him to jump. His feet left the ground only to be pulled back by the grip of the grass; Teal'c had anticipated this and had compensated with a controlled leap towards a low branch that stretched out overhead. He grabbed onto it, its roughly textured bark providing the grip he needed to pull himself up. With all the lithe precision of a man who had done this countless times before, Teal'c swung himself out of the grasp of the grass and onto the bare bank.

The soil was loose and he almost slid back down to the roadside, but he had controlled for that eventuality. One booted foot was angled to dig into the earth, slowing his descent; the other skimmed ahead and came to rest on a protruding tree root.

He stood there a few moments, one foot deep in the soil, the other supported by a natural platform. Teal'c surveyed the road beneath him calmly. He glanced ahead and noted that the verge did indeed give way to the road further on.

Unstrapping his staff weapon from his back, he used it as an aid to climb. He dug it into the soil, pulled himself up and quickly ascended to the level of the trees again.

-----------------

Jack O'Neill was making a vague attempt to look interested. If he had been able to see, his gaze would no doubt have been wandering around whatever room he was now inside, but he had decided that this time he'd make an effort – for Carter's sake. Usually Daniel did all this negotiating stuff. It wasn't that she was out of her depth – she was doing brilliantly, in fact, especially considering the persistent snide remarks of the female 'soldier' in their company. It was just that she sounded almost as frustrated as he felt. Standing here in goodness-knows-where, making trivial agreements about goodness-knows-what, he silently asserted that they should be finding a way back to the Gate instead.

Of course, this _was_ a way back to the Gate. Still, its lack of immediacy meant it was far from ideal. Jack would never admit why, but he was getting edgy. His sight hadn't returned yet. He had expected it to gradually fade back in, attributing the term 'temporary' to his impairment.

_Still not blind_, his thoughts muttered. Slowly, he tuned back in to the conversation.

"…a lot to ask," Carter was saying. O'Neill detected a hint of warning in her tone.

"It is," a voice agreed. They had encountered an older man upon arrival, a spokesman of some sort. "Our situation demands that we ask these things, Major. Perhaps there is something else we can offer you, aside from safe passage?"

In the space Carter left for him to speak, Jack asked: "Ya got any ointment?" He gestured casually: "For the eyes, y'know."

From somewhere in the corner, the female member of their ambush sucked her teeth loudly.

"It is the rarest of all our supplies," the spokesman, Cain, explained. "Great quantities were made during the war but since then…"

"Perhaps we can help you manufacture more," Sam offered. "We could send a sample of it back to Earth and have it reproduced."

Jack added, " 'Sides: four eyes are better than two, wouldn't you say?"

Cain smiled. "You are quite right, of course."

O'Neill had to give it to the guy, he knew the right time for flattery.

"Now, if you don't mind, I have one honker of a headache," the Colonel began.

"Oh – yes. Of course, the device must have caused you much pain. You must be hungry also. Come." A hefty hand settled non–threateningly on his shoulder.

"Cain, have you lost all sense of duty to your race?" demanded the voice of the female cynic from across the room. "You're leading them away to _rest_ when half of your own people haven't slept in weeks, leading them away to _eat_ when your own family is practically starving."

"Step down from the platform you constructed for yourself amongst the clouds, Gale. These people have agreed to help us, is that not enough?"

O'Neill got the strong impression from her silence that it wasn't.

"If you want us to help you," he said, "you gotta let us get our bearings first. We've only been here five minutes. As for food, we've got our own supplies, thanks."

"It's alright, Colonel," Carter replied; "I can get started with their technology right away."

He was afraid she'd say that.

"Fine, whatever. Okay Carter, you go with Miss Optimistic over there, I'm sure she's just _dying_ to show you around." He turned towards where he thought Cain must be standing. "We're grateful for your hospitality, sir, but I really do need to lie down before my head implodes."

Cain laughed softly. "Surely, I believe you. Our thanks, Major Carter. This way, Colonel, your accommodation is not far."

Carter watched as the elderly man slowly led O'Neill out of the door of the make-shift negotiation chamber. Dubiously, she turned towards Gale, who met her gaze with a glare. The young woman stood very suddenly and crossed the room, muttering as she exited.

Sam took a deep breath to brace herself, then followed.

-------------

Teal'c crouched low on the ridge overlooking the Stargate. The majestic alien ring was surrounded by the grass-like organism; some feet away, the road began, guarded by its towering defences. The Dial Home Device resided idly somewhere between the two.

It was clear to him what he needed to do.

Teal'c had climbed a lot of trees in his childhood; Chulak had been a planet with many forests. As a boy, he had wanted to get closer to the gliders as they trained in formation. The gods' power had always seemed to come from the sky.

Now, he selected a broad tree and scaled it with ease, his staff weapon still in one hand. It was fortunately positioned: a tree on the opposite side of the cutting had been felled and one of its sturdier branches stretched half way across the gap towards Teal'c's side of the bank. The branch on which he now sat was considerably thinner but he could use that to his advantage. Employing his weight to bring the wood further down, he found he could use his body to bridge the gap between the two branches, directly over the DHD.

Careful to retain his balance, Teal'c stretched out his staff weapon, which he had kept securely in one hand. He held it vertically and, with controlled loosening of grip, allowed it to slip through his grasp; he caught it again just before the bulbous end and began to punch in Earth's address.

It was difficult from this angle to see all of the chevrons and harder still to reach them, but Teal'c knew the layout of the DHD well. Once all the symbols had been punched, he touched the tip of his staff weapon against the smooth domed crystal in the centre of the pedestal. It did not respond.

He became aware that his staff weapon would not suffice to activate the Gate; it seemed that the red crystal only reacted to the pressure distributed by one's palm. He drew his weapon back up. Kneeling precariously on his wavering branch, he placed the staff flat over the two branches. Then, he wrapped his fists around both staff and tree. His ankles locked together in a similar manner and he somehow managed to swing downwards. He was now upside-down, hanging perilously above the awaiting DHD.

Slowly, he reached down with one outstretched arm. Not enough. He re-adjusted his legs, bringing his knees in to add increase his grip on the branch. He removed his other hand and let his whole upper body be pulled downwards by gravity. He was quite unused to such acrobatics but his years of training meant his body had both the flexibility to reach and the strength to support him. The tips of his fingers contacted with the smooth crystal and it glowed; Teal'c had to pull himself back up immediately to avoid the destructive wave of the event horizon. The Stargate had engaged.

Teal'c hoisted himself back onto the topside of the branches. Moving backwards towards the trunk of the tree, he took up his staff and climbed down.


	6. Contact

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Teal'c and Daniel contact the SGC whilst Sam finds herself in the middle of a city without an escort.  
**Notes:** I intended to update faster, but I got sidetracked with another fic (_Explicit Orders_) and it didn't happen.That's why this section isn't as long as I had originally intended. Hope you all enjoy it, though!  
**Feedback:** Please keep reviewing! I love hearing from you all.

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

**-Part 6-  
**_Contact_

The sun glimmered high above Daniel and his elderly companion with startling clarity. They had lapsed into a heavy silence, which might have been awkward but for the way Sarai continued to gaze peacefully into the clearing sky. Sitting on a fallen tree trunk, its dying leaves still shaded with a wistful memory of green, Daniel had let his mind wander. Now it was jolted back to their present situation as he heard Teal'c's voice.

"It is I," said the Jaffa through the radio; "Teal'c. I request that you respond immediately, General Hammond."

Sarai turned her head enquiringly at the crackling static that followed. Daniel smiled apologetically for the intrusive noise; then he was distracted by his own relief as he heard George Hammond's voice.

"We read you, Teal'c. What's your situation?"

Teal'c's answer was as calm and as measured as ever. "Firstly, I must warn against sending more personnel through the Stargate to this world. The area around the Stargate is most perilous."

"Copy that, Teal'c," Hammond responded. "What's going on out there? Where's the rest of SG-1?"

"Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter have been transported to a location as yet unknown to us. They may well be injured, General Hammond, and have given no response to our attempts at radio communication."

"And Doctor Jackson?"

Now seemed a good time to leap into the conversation. "Here! I'm here!"

"Daniel Jackson is safe," Teal'c offered. Sarai made no effort to hide her amusement.

"Well," said Daniel, unconvinced, "I wouldn't say 'safe' exactly."

General Hammond chose not to follow that up. "Tell me more about the area around the Gate, Teal'c. Could we send a UAV?"

"I believe so," said Teal'c. "However, it must be propelled away from the Stargate as quickly as possible, or the barrier defending this road may engage it in battle."

"I'll keep that in mind," Hammond replied. "Are you certain we can't send a rescue team?"

"That would be most inadvisable, General Hammond. I shall, however, attempt to disable some of the barrier's weaponry to ensure a safe passage for the UAV."

"Thank you, Teal'c. Doctor Jackson?"

"Hm? Er – yes, sir?"

"Have you met any indigenous friendlies that may be willing to launch a search for Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter?"

"Um…" Daniel glanced at Sarai, who gazed back at him placidly. "Kind of."

"Doctor." Hammond's tone demanded a proper response.

"Uh, well, as far as I can tell they're indigenous, and friendly, too, but apparently Jack and Sam have been transported behind old enemy lines. The war ended almost three decades ago with a devastating effect on their culture. There are still taboos about going beyond the battle lines that were drawn."

Hammond considered this. "I see. Well, Doctor, if we can't send reinforcements, you may have to keep trying."

"Yes sir, I plan to."

"We will send the UAV in one hour," the General concluded. "Have that defensive weaponry disabled by then if you can. Over and out."

--------------------------

The city was extensive and teeming with activity. Built on a flattened plain of mountain rock, Sam found herself no nearer to sea-level than she had been on the ridge. Still, there wasn't a lot she could do about that right now, and besides, the surrounding structures were just calling out to be investigated. Many of the buildings were being reconstructed, but of the ones that had been rebuilt, half a dozen looked distinctly like factories. One of them was bound to be manufacturing some intriguing piece of technology. She paused as she cast a glance below.

"Oh, wow."

"Magnificent, isn't it?"

They had come to a halt overlooking the majority of the mountain-side settlement. Gale smiled smugly as Sam moved in awe towards the edge of the raised walkway. The Air Force scientist leaned forward over the railing, craning her neck for a better view. A range of buildings hung resolutely in mid air with absolutely no sign of physical support.

"Are those actually…?"

"Suspended, yes." Gale didn't even attempt to conceal her satisfaction. "The mountain couldn't support much more weight so we built off it, right across the pass!"

"That's incredible," Sam murmured, her sight still fixed on the row of multi-storey buildings. "How do you do it? An anti-gravity field of some kind?"

Gale wasn't listening. "Survived the war, this place," she said, with pride. "The bridge was put out, so what did we do? We invented transportation technology. Now we can zap ourselves from place to place, just like that." She clicked her fingers.

Sam scanned the scene for the remains of a bridge. Her eyes sought out a shelf of rock jutting out further below; and on the face of the opposite mountain, a similar ledge. She couldn't see any sign of buildings, but perhaps the broken bridge led to a concealed part of the settlement.

"We had a similar situation on our world," she told Gale, "when war advanced our science. With us it was medicine instead of technology."

"Well, we invented medicines too," Gale responded in a distinctly defensive tone.

"Of course," Sam replied hastily, "I wasn't suggesting–"

An electronic wailing interrupted her apology. Men and women hurried out of buildings and into others, calling out to each other in the commotion. It wasn't quite panic, just alarm, as if something had happened that none of them had quite been expecting. Without providing any explanation, Gale imposed herself upon the moving crowd of people and began to issue orders. To Sam's amazement, some of those people actually listened to her.

Carter turned to a passing scientist. At least, she presumed he was a scientist, but the lack of white coats in alien societies sometimes made it hard to tell. She caught his arm to halt him; he made an odd little spin on the spot to face her.

"Excuse me…" – Daniel had taught her the value of being polite to alien races – "could you tell me what's going on? Why is there an alarm sounding?"

"The Stargate has activated," he exclaimed with intense excitement. "We could never figure it out yet it's activated twice in the same day! Incredible! Maybe it activates itself! Maybe my theories are correct after all! Fantastic, just brilliant!" And he dashed away again, clutching onto reams of printed paper.

Glancing towards the main body of people, Sam could see that not all of them were quite so thrilled at the Stargate coming to life. Gale continued to bark direction at anxious groups of scientists and restless bands of would-be soldiers. Sam took up her radio.

"Colonel."

"Carter! What's happening out there? This darned siren's gonna make me go deaf if they don't shut it off soon."

"Sir, I think Daniel and Teal'c just dialled home."

"Excellent." There was genuine cheer in Jack's tone and for Sam it was somewhat a relief to hear. "Find out what you can, Major. If there's a chance we can radio the SGC I want to know about it; so go snoop."

"Yes sir, I'll…snoop."

---------------------------------

Teal'c was deep in thought when Daniel and Sarai joined him at the tree line overlooking the road. Sarai congratulated him on his success in activating the Stargate; he inclined his head to her in thanks. Then he voiced what he was thinking.

"We must disable the weapons facility closest the Stargate," he said; "we must enable the UAV to arrive unharmed."

"Okay," said Daniel, "so how do we do that? I mean, if it's heat-seeking we can't use weapons or anything, can we?"

"Daniel is correct," Sarai confirmed. "The barrier was designed to protect again both energy and projectile weapons."

Teal'c's response was decisive: "Then we must find another way."

"That might be easier said than done, Teal'c," Daniel ventured. "Sarai, do you know anything else about this thing?"

"I am afraid I am to be of little help here," Sarai replied regretfully.

"It's okay," Daniel reassured, "you've been a lot of help already."

Teal'c was considering the barrier's defence system. "Its weapons seem to be encased in orbs," he observed.

Daniel followed his gaze. "What for? If they can repel weapons fire, why do they need protection?"

"The cloud renders their sensors useless," Sarai answered, shading her eyes to look up at the engineering of a generation of her people she scarcely remembered. Daniel glanced up to the clear, pale blue expanse above. The smog was but a dark shadow on the horizon. "Just our luck," he muttered.

Teal'c's tactical and determined mind, meanwhile, was still exploring the possibilities that flashed into focus.

"We must conduct a search," he instructed.

"What are we looking for?" asked Daniel.

"We must find an orb that is damaged or broken. It will be vulnerable."

"Uh…yeah, okay." So as Daniel took up his binoculars, Teal'c took off around the tree line in hope of reaching the other bank. Sarai sat herself down with a weary sigh.

"Sarai," Daniel said, turning at the sound, "are you alright?"

She smiled at his gentlemanly concern. "My legs are not as strong as they once were," she said; "and alas, my body is heavier than it once was! It seems that way, at least. No: you carry on, Daniel. We must do as your friend says and find a weakness."

Daniel nodded and turned back towards the barrier, the binoculars pressed to his glasses. "You know, Sam would be fascinated by this. A great big all-in-one defence system that rises out of the ground." He made the gesture with his free hand. "You can't get near it and you can't shoot at it either. What I was wondering, though – perhaps you can tell me – is why there are weapons on both sides – I mean, if it's supposed to be for defending your homeland."

Sarai didn't answer straight away. Instead her gaze travelled from the barrier to the Stargate, then back along the road towards the city. "It was designed for peace." Her words were heavy. "Instead it simply accelerated the onset of war."

She stood with effort and solemnly observed a silence of remembrance, her gaze fixed on the city far along the road. Daniel lowered his binoculars respectfully and stood quietly with her.

A few moments later, Teal'c's voice sounded calmly through the radio. "Daniel Jackson, I believe I have found a suitably damaged orb."

"That's great, Teal'c. Where are you?"

"Observe, Daniel Jackson." A fiery staff blast rose from the opposite bank to mark Teal'c's position and a few minutes later, Sarai and Daniel stood beside Teal'c as he pointed out the broken orb. He turned to Sarai: "Are you aware that this barrier would defend against a weapon that is neither energy nor projectile?"

"If the weapon is without heat, I believe not," Sarai replied. "The sensors are heat-seeking; they take no account of movement, else engineers sent to maintain the barrier would be caught in its destruction."

"Then I may have a solution."

And Teal'c unclipped his SGC standard issue knife.

Daniel marvelled at the simplicity of it. He silently thanked whatever physics meant that things short-circuited, too, because by one simple throw the whole of the end section of the barrier's defence system was disabled.

"Wow, so that's it?" he commented as he watched electricity leap around the metal blade like miniature lighting bolts.

"That is it," Teal'c agreed. "Now we must await General Hammond's deployment of the UAV. Perhaps then we shall locate Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter."

Daniel sure hoped so. For all they knew, Jack and Sam were stranded on a mountain somewhere, maybe blind, maybe brain damaged, maybe both. He watched the knife quiver a moment longer and wished he could do more to ensure his friends' safety.


	7. Poisonous Intent

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Sam makes a discovery or two, Daniel and Teal'c come across some startling revelations and Jack is…well, bored.  
**Notes:** Also not as long as first planned, though the pace of this one demands a snappier finish.  
**Feedback:** A huge thanks goes to those who have reviewed to encourage me. Please keep letting me know what you think! I love hearing from you all.

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

**

* * *

**

**-Part 7-  
**_Poisonous Intent_

Sam Carter was trying not to enjoy herself. Unfortunately, the prospect of exploring a technologically advanced settlement meant she wasn't trying very hard, and her excitement was clear on her face. Better still, everyone was too busy to notice she was wandering around without an escort.

So, despite reminding herself a number of times of the Colonel's situation, Sam took herself on a leisurely sight–seeing tour. She roamed the streets in the vague direction of the manufacturing quarter, where impressive-looking factories plunged half of the mountain into shadow.

The further away she got from Gale, the more confident she felt in exploring without a sanctioned guide. She began to stop every now and again to inspect various features on the walkways. There was something remarkably familiar about some of them. There were lampposts, similar in shape to those back home; public water fountains with the same motion sensors as those used on Earth; roads wide enough to incorporate two lanes of traffic – the only difference being that the only traffic here was pedestrian.

This lack of motorised transport was explained as Carter approached what could only be described as a public square. In the centre of it, important-looking people were coming and going – that is to say, appearing and disappearing – in front of two identical pedestal devices. She paused to watch as one man had a heated argument with the uniformed attendant. Apparently he was not eligible for travel.

Sam was desperate to get a closer look at the transportation devices, but decided against it. It might not be a good idea to advertise her presence here without her guide and there was still plenty more to be seen. She strode on, avoiding the square, following a side-street; and there she found something far more intriguing than transporter technology.

-----------------

Meanwhile, Jack O'Neill was getting very bored.

Cain had led him into a room and over to a bed very low to the ground. It felt like he was actually sitting on a cushioned floor, but he supposed it was comfortable enough. He had thanked Cain and the man took his leave.

Now he had nothing to do but lie there. The alarm had begun just as O'Neill had been on the verge of sleep and now his brain refused to rest.

There had been a brief moment of excitement as Carter had radioed in to report her suspicion that the other two members of SG-1 had activated the Gate, but chances were they had gone through by now. That meant that even if Carter found a way to extend the range on their radios, the Gate would probably be closed. They would just have to hope they had the capability to establish communications when a search party was sent back through.

He sighed. At least Carter had something to do – he was stuck here doing nothing until she returned, which could be hours. A city was a big place. If she was still in the company of Gale, though, he could only sympathise.

The door burst open very suddenly, accompanied by a loud demand: "Where is she?"

"Excuse me?" Jack exclaimed, affronted.

"That woman, Carter, where is she?"

He allowed himself to feel a certain inward satisfaction that Sam had given Gale the slip.

"What, you mean you left her unattended in a big city like this?" Jack asked, ignoring his persistent migraine in order to sit up. "Oh man, you'll never find her. Nope. She'll be searching out the nearest piece of scientific equipment to investigate. I bet she's dismantling something as we speak."

"She's supposed to be helping us, not sabotaging our technology! Garh! Spies!" She kicked something out of sheer frustration and it clunked dully.

"We're not _spies_," Jack asserted with an exasperated sigh. "Why does everyone always assume we're spies? Anyway, what do you expect? You lost her."

"I did not lose her!" Gale huffed.

"Sure ya did. You don't know where she is, do you?"

"No, but you do, don't you?" Gale accused.

"For crying out loud!" Jack muttered, rather loudly.

"What is going on?" It was Cain, presumably alerted by their raised voices. "Gale, what are you doing, harassing our guest?"

"He is no guest – he is a spy!"

"He's a guest of our government and if any of us seriously thought either Colonel O'Neill or Major Carter were spies, they would have been arrested long ago. Colonel, my most sincere apologies."

"Ah, no problem," Jack replied with a charismatic smile. "I guess I should've warned you: Major Carter is a scientist. Her curiosity gets the better of her sometimes. I'm sure she'll reappear before too long."

"You see, Gale?" Cain said. "Now go and do something useful and bring Colonel O'Neill some ointment." When she tried to protest, he added: "It has been approved by the Board! We have enough for this."

She stormed out of the room with an audible huffing. A smile twisted O'Neill's lips.

"I am afraid I have business to attend to," Cain told him; "please excuse me. Would it be agreeable for me to come back later, when Major Carter has returned? There are questions our government wish to ask about various things."

Jack made to nod but was quickly reminded of his the pain inside his skull when he moved. "Ow! Er, yeah, sure thing." He heard Cain leave and uttered another 'ow', pressing a palm against his forehead. It did nothing to ease the throbbing that had erupted in his temple.

"In pain, Colonel?" came Gale's voice as she returned. "Too bad."

He gave her a sarcastic smile, then asked bluntly: "So have you got the stuff or not?"

"Yeah, yeah," Gale muttered. "I'm afraid I can't wait around tending to your every need, though. Here." Something flew through the air and hit him squarely on the chest before falling into his lap. "Squeeze a bit out onto your finger and rub it over your eyelids. I'd tell you to read the label but, oh look, you can't."

Jack raised his eyebrows at her. That simply did not deserve a response. She turned on her heel and walked out of the room; he heard the door close behind her.

"Yeesh."

He located the tube of ointment she had thrown at him and ran his fingers over it. It was cool and smooth and inflexible – metal, maybe. With a frown, he wondered how he was supposed to squeeze anything out of a metal container. Running his fingers over it, he located what he thought must be the cap and unscrewed it. An unpleasant smell drifted out of the tube; he grimaced.

O'Neill briefly considered abandoning this foul-smelling solution to his sight problem, but his need to recover his vision overruled that idea. Applying pressure to the container – because that was the only way he understood tubes to work – he was surprised to find a globule of gel-like ointment squeezed itself out onto his finger. Cautiously, he touched it against one closed eyelid.

Instantly the spot was cooled and the heat building in his skull seemed to reduce a fraction. Gaining confidence, Jack applied the ointment to the rest of his eye; then, marvelling at its effect, he squeezed out another globule and used it to soothe his other eye.

He carefully screwed the cap back onto the tube and, after a brief moment pause to prepare himself, opened his eyes.

Nothing.

"Aw, heck."

He tossed the tube aside. He hadn't expected it to be a miracle cure in any case. He was too tired to grumble, other than to acknowledge how clearly useless the so-called medicine was. His migraine was still murderous and there was only one solution he could think of for that. Pulling his collar up around his neck, he resolved to sleep.

------------------------

Sarai watched with fascination as a bird-like probe flew out of the Stargate. It propelled itself in a swift, rising arc as Daniel spoke with an unseen man through his communication device.

"This is literally the border," he was saying. "There's a city due north, that belongs to the Dueteri, the natives we came across. Their territory stretches east so I can only suggest the UAV goes west."

"They will have been transported to a mountainous region," Sarai added.

"Sarai says Jack and Sam will be somewhere in the mountains."

"Thank you, Doctor Jackson," General Hammond replied. "We are inputting that information so it can be incorporated into the UAV's automated search pattern. Let's see if we can't get a better idea of Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter's whereabouts. Find out what you can from the natives. We will check back in five hours. Hammond out."

Instantly the Stargate disengaged. Sarai watched the event horizon disappear with interest.

"Twenty-eight years ago I could have made the ring work," she mused. "Not so now. I can barely remember its use. The children, they call it the Cosmic Circle, as if it is made of magic! If only such illusions could protect them from the truth we built with destruction." She looked up at the UAV, winging its way west. "I can only wonder if our enemies suffer as they do."

Daniel rubbed the back of his neck in his unease before taking a step or two towards her.

"You can't change what happened," he told Sarai gently. "The best thing your people can do is learn from it, move on and rebuild."

"Rebuild? No: it cannot be done."

"I know you're in a tough position at the moment," Daniel said, "trying to keep alive in those caves, but we can help."

Teal'c nodded in agreement. "Once our friends are found, we will be able send those who can assist your people in reconstructing your settlement."

"You do not understand," Sarai answered, shaking her head. "I thank you for your offer but it still cannot be done."

"Why not?" Daniel asked, frowning.

"The atmosphere has been tainted since this world was formed," she explained, indicating the weak and wavering sky. "Many of each generation died from a genetic illness that made them vulnerable to the toxins in the air. As time went on we were able to make progress towards overcoming the problem. We worked hard to clean the air in our towns and develop treatments against the disease. Through our efforts, fewer people became sick until only those who had both genes for the sickness fell ill. Once that mark was reached, the illness started to die out, as it was a recessive gene."

"But you haven't got those treatments anymore?" Daniel guessed. Sarai nodded.

"The air filters were destroyed at the beginning of the war," she sighed. "From that moment, thousands of people knew their death was guaranteed. They went down to the pits alone, or as couples, or as families, to sleep for eternity. That is how it was."

Daniel dropped his head. The purpose-built mass grave, the relaxed forms of the victims – it made sense, now. Dreadful, dire sense.

"Now we are trapped," Sarai continued. "Our only hope is to shelter in the caves. At first we had hoped the cloud would dissipate, yet it remains."

"What significance has the cloud in your people's situation?" enquired Teal'c.

"It triggers the sickness when it is overhead," she told them, "even in those who were previously impervious. All the bad elements of the atmosphere have been condensed into that cloud. We do not know how it came about, only that it formed after the war had ended. Perhaps it was the result of our city's destruction. Perhaps someone attempted to reconstruct our air filters and reversed the process instead. We are never to know."

She cast a dark glance towards the north. "We need to rebuild the air filters correctly in order for our number to grow; yet we need our number to grow in order to rebuild. There are too few of us. Too many who are sick."

Shaking her head in despair, Sarai turned her from them and began to make her slow progress home, to the caves.

-----------------------

The commotion in the square beyond meant that Sam was momentarily distracted from her find. She hurried back towards the main road, where the same excitement and alarm flourished in the faces of scientists and officials. The man who had been arguing with the transporter attendant took the opportunity to tag onto a party of anxious men and women with electronic devices that looked like clipboards.

Sam glanced back towards the warehouse at the end of the alley. Presumably the Stargate had just activated again: she could either go and investigate that or resume her enquiry into the factory behind. She looked back towards it. A vicious message glared back at her, scrawled onto the wall in what must have been their equivalent of spray paint.

_suck poison dueteri dogs_

And above, the plaque that had caught her eye in the first place. _Atmospheric Modification Plant_, it proclaimed in bold, uncompromising letters. _Certified by the Triyan Board of Medicine and the Council of International Warfare_.

The Stargate could wait, Carter decided. There was something else going on here and she intended to find out exactly what it was.


	8. Humans Not Dogs

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Teal'c and Daniel get invited for dinner whilst Sam follows orders and... snoops.  
**Notes:** This took me a while to do for a couple of reasons, the main one being college work, the other being uncoporative computers that like to lose sections of my work! I hope it's been worth the wait for everyone. :)  
**Feedback:** Please keep reviewing! I love hearing from you all.

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

**-Part 8-  
**_Humans Not Dogs_

At first, the only thing O'Neill recognised was that he needed to carry on sleeping; and, for his sleep to continue, his radio needed shutting up.

_Thwack_.

It bounced off the floor and skidded across the room.

"Colonel?" The voice seemed to jump as the radio collided with the wall. "Sir, can you hear me? It's Carter."

_Crap._

He sat up and rubbed his eyes; they were invigorated out of their sleepy state and he blinked around the room. Calmly he noted that it didn't seem quite so dark anymore.

"Sir?" Carter's voice came again.

"Patience is a virtue, Major," he muttered even though she couldn't hear him, and used his foot to find the floor. The bed was only a few inches from the ground; he shuffled off it, deciding his best bet would be to keep low and use his arms to navigate. As Sam's attempts to communicate became slightly more concerned, he followed her voice, groping around on the floor ahead of him.

And then it came into focus, just for a second; lying undamaged on the floor just centimetres from his left hand. He grabbed it, but not before his vision swam again, the shades of the room becoming vague and meaningless as he sat up against the wall. He tried to ignore the dizziness as the varying greys blotched themselves over his eyes.

Jack depressed the button on the radio: "For crying out loud, Carter, can't you let a man sleep?"

"Colonel," she responded. He could hear the small smile that curved her words. "Sorry sir, I didn't mean to wake you."

"No matter, no matter," he grumbled. "What's up?"

"I've found something, sir, and… it doesn't look good."

He groaned. "Why do we always have to get involved with the dodgy ones?"

"I'm standing in front of a building near the centre of the manufacturing quarter."

"What kind of building?"

"An 'Atmospheric Modification Plant,' sir," Carter replied; "I think this might explain the fluctuating level of toxins in the air around the city near the Gate."

"What happened to that just being fallout from the war?" Jack wanted to know.

"It was the only explanation at the time, sir," Sam explained. "There was no evidence that anything else was causing the atmospheric conditions."

"And you think these people are involved somehow?"

"Well, sir, let's just say it worries me that the plant is certified by the Triyan Council of Warfare."

"Ah crap," he sighed. "Well, I guess I did tell you to go snoop… Alright, go ahead and check it out. Just don't take too long, okay?"

"Yes sir. I'll be back as soon as I've had a look around."

Silence fell over him again. He opened his eyes, having closed them for the duration of the conversation. His vision swam and he was suddenly very glad he was sitting down; he might have fallen over otherwise.

"Gah."

He pressed his hands against his eyes. This sucked. He had been better off with total blackness: at least then he hadn't had to worry about losing balance. This felt like that time someone had spiked his drink in '77. He had been damn lucky Kawalski had been there to pick him up and take him home.

Brushing aside the emotions that rose at the thought of his late best friend, he reattached the radio to his vest. He didn't make a move for the bed: he refused to crawl back across the room. For all he knew, Gale could be waiting to pounce on his weakness. He wouldn't give her the satisfaction of finding him unprotected and on all fours.

_Man, that sounds so wrong._

He leaned back against the wall behind and realised with great dismay that his headache had returned with a vengeance. For the moment he wasn't sure he cared about what these people had done to themselves during the war. He just wanted Carter to get back here and find a way home.

---------------

The caves seemed less crowded when they returned. Daniel wondered if there were actually fewer people there or if his heightened awareness of their situation made him see them as individuals rather than a collective nation. He watched somewhat helplessly as Sarai disappeared deeper into the underground shelters. He felt compelled to follow but Teal'c advised that she might require to spend time in solitary reflection. Daniel had to agree.

As they spoke, a young man approached. He was a junior member of what little government they had here and he had volunteered to act as liaison to the foreigners. Though wary at first, Yosef had been intrigued by the strangers who had come through the Stargate and had taken to them quickly. He was one of the few Dueteri who were completely unafraid of Teal'c.

"Doctor," he greeted as he drew closer, "Teal'c. It is good to see you again."

"You too, Yosef," Daniel smiled as Teal'c gave a courteous head-nod.

Yosef made a show of peering around the two men before saying regretfully: "I am sorry to see you do not return with your friends."

Ever since Daniel had described Jack and Sam, Yosef had expressed his hope to meet them – though Daniel had a suspicion he was eager to encounter the female member of their team for reasons other than professional interest.

"No," Daniel replied, "but we managed to contact our homeworld. A probe is searching for them from the air as we speak."

"Really?" Yosef asked, enthusiasm splashed over his face. "You managed to activate the Stargate from this side?"

As Yosef was gazing pointedly at Daniel, the archaeologist thought it only polite to add: "Yes, it's really all down to Teal'c."

"Really?" Yosef repeated, turning his attention to the stoic Jaffa. "Teal'c, my admiration climbs even higher for you." Teal'c inclined his head and Yosef asked, "Is the barrier destroyed?"

"It is not," Teal'c answered him: "it is merely damaged."

"Shame, shame," Yosef sighed. "I have long hoped the defences of our land would somehow be rendered inactive."

"Can't they be deactivated?" Daniel enquired.

"Yes," Yosef replied slowly, "but many of our people believe the old defences are the only protection we have."

"They do not protect you against your own atmosphere," Teal'c commented.

"It is true," Yosef agreed. "Our government do not see how deactivating our old defences will help, but I believe there must be land beyond ours, another continent, in which the air may be less polluted by the effects of war."

"Never mind about another continent, how about another world?" Daniel responded. "We know dozens of hospitable planets that we could take you to through the Stargate."

For a moment Yosef's green eyes lit up quite startlingly; then their brightness was smothered by a sigh. "If only the others did not fear it. Though…" He trailed off, in thought. "Maybe… maybe now is the time to persuade them."

"Maybe," Daniel added, making an effort to sound cheerful. Yosef beamed back at him.

"Then come – we have much to prepare, much to do."

"We – we do?" asked Daniel uncertainly, glancing at Teal'c. "I mean, we really should…"

"We must not become distracted from our search for our friends," Teal'c finished. Yosef's face fell a little.

"No," he agreed, "no, of course not, my apologies. You are here now, though, and hungry; I will take you to where you may eat."

"Daniel Jackson," Teal'c said quietly, "we still have much land to search and explore."

"I agree, Teal'c, but if we want these people to help us, we have to make some kind of effort," Daniel replied. "We have to persuade them that we're willing to be their friends. We have another four and a half hours before the SGC reactivates the Gate… that's plenty of time. Maybe we should just go eat with them."

"Very well," Teal'c answered. He lifted his head in concession and Yosef beckoned them to follow.

---------------

Despite having gained permission from Colonel O'Neill to enter the Triyan factory, Sam was having slight difficulties in following his order to snoop. This was mostly due to that fact that, as far as she could see, the building had only one accessible entrance. She knew better than to wander in through the front door; instead she took several steps back and looked upwards.

The building was impressively tall but hastily built. The walls looked as though they had been thrown together at the last minute with an almost comical range of shapes and sizes of brick. There was one ledge to the right; and though there weren't any windows, there were ventilation grates.

Sam quickly planned her route up the ready-made footholds in the crumbling mortar. She could find a secure path until about two-thirds of the way up, but that was all she needed. With a quick glance to check no-one was around, she set her right foot in one of her assigned gaps and pushed herself up, grasping onto a broken brick that jutted out of the wall at an angle.

A few minutes later she had pulled herself onto the ledge. Relieved to be in a defensible position again, Carter turned to cast a wary glance over the alleyway below. No-one, that was good; she turned back and proceeded towards one of the grates on the wall.

The grates were at head height with sizeable gaps in between the slats. Presumably this flat section of roof was as some kind of service platform for the ventilation system. Keeping her distance in case the outlets were emitting some kind of gas, Sam drew out her spy lense, an eyepiece that extended to enable the viewer to direct their vision at awkward angles or into small places. She guided it carefully through the slats.

Inside it was dark. At first her eyes were confused by the blinking of coloured lights in the blackness, but a moment later her vision had adjusted. Her attention was drawn to the far wall. There, huge pistons forced phosphorous gas through transparent tubes. There was no other movement: just the intermittent lights and the hulking pistons, gas disappearing into vats and emerging in different colours. The strangest thing about it, Sam thought, was the total absence of sound.

And just as she thought it she heard footsteps and voices – not from inside the building but from outside, below her. Instantly she crouched, withdrawing the spy lense and tucking back into her vest pocket. Two men approached and from the sound of it, they were engaged in a heated discussion. She hoped it would stay that way, because if they looked up, they would catch sight of her instantly.

"…since the war, but it is necessary; nothing less," she heard the first man say as the pair strode into earshot.

"You know as well as I do how the winds pick up at this time of year," the second responded angrily. "Another week and they will be bombarding the plains."

"Is it our doing that nature assaults our enemies for us?" the first man laughed. "Come, Cain! This is the time of year we are most vulnerable, yet you ask for our only defence to come to an end?"

"It is no defence," Cain challenged, "but an on-going assault. The war ended long ago."

"And every year since we have had this same, boring discussion," the other man sighed. His tone was level but contained more than a hint of impatience. "The answer is still the same, man. Honestly – you of all people should know what our enemies are capable of."

"They are human as we are," Cain replied, struggling to restrain himself.

"Oh, are they?" the first man asked airily. "I was under the impression they were… '_Dueteri dogs'_." He chuckled, and the chuckle became a laugh, a sound that only faded as he entered the building and slammed the metal door behind him.

Cain stood for a moment, staring at the grafitti on the wall below; and as Sam peered over the side of the ledge, she saw him bury his face in his hands and turn away in anguished grief.

---------------

The meal was a communal affair, the type of thing Daniel was used to. Teal'c was stationed beside him, his broad presence noticeably agitated. It was difficult for the Jaffa warrior, a man of action, to sit and eat when his friends were lost and in danger; yet he was aware that Daniel was seeking these people's help for that very reason, and he trusted Daniel Jackson's judgement.

"Sarai isn't here," Daniel observed quietly to Teal'c during a break in conversation with Yosef. Teal'c cast his gaze around the chamber. There were no more than a dozen families here and they had very little. Daniel had gone so far as to offer some of his rations to the hungry crowd.

"Perhaps she chooses to dine alone," Teal'c suggested.

"Maybe, Teal'c," Daniel said, "but I get the impression these people are obliged to share whatever they have, just to keep each other going. I can't believe this is all that's left of a whole nation."

"It is indeed a tragedy," Teal'c replied. A silence stretched out between them; Yosef was talking animatedly to a council member that had made the mistake of walking within conversational range.

"Do you think we'll be able to do it?" Daniel asked Teal'c. "Save these people, I mean; get them through the Gate."

"No matter when the war here ended, their own fear now threatens," Teal'c answered sagely. "If they cannot overcome their fear, it will be their downfall. It is rarely possible for all to be brought to safety when they themselves strive to prevent it."

"Yeah…" Daniel sighed, looking around the cavern with a pained frown. "We have to try, though, right?"

Teal'c nodded slowly and Daniel turned back to look upon the Dueteri, another dying race.

* * *

_**A/N:** I'll have Part 9 up as soon as I possibly can, but when that will be I really can't say.Still, it'll be worth the wait for you fans of Sam/Jack UST... _-eg- 


	9. War Tained

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Getting closer.  
**Notes:** Thanks to helent for the amazing support with this.  
**Feedback:** Please keep reviewing, especially on this chapter! Kind of straying into unknown territory with some of this. Besides, you know I love hearing from you all.

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

**-Part 9-  
**_War-Tainted_

She almost went undetected but for the gas.

Curling out from the vents, drifting into her throat, constricting her airways… Sam tried to resist the reflexive urge to cough but the rising vapours were too strong. Forced to break cover in order to breathe, she spluttered and gasped for air.

"Who's there?"

Carter didn't have the breath to respond. Instead she scrambled down as quickly as she could, only to find steady, supporting hands guide her to the ground. Leaning against the wall, she gasped her thanks. Cain didn't respond; he simply waited patiently for her to recover.

At last she straightened up and opened her mouth to offer an explanation; he shook his head and she fell silent.

"You shouldn't be here," he stated flatly. "Come, this way. You will be apprehended if they find you here."

Sam had no choice but to follow him. He strode quickly ahead, startlingly so for such a weary-looking old man. He neglected to speak though, and his sober air intensified the volume of the alarm bells that were already ringing loudly in her mind.

She decided to break the silence.

"Cain."

They were following a narrow, partially sheltered alleyway that steadily upward. Cain stopped beneath one of the arches and turned to face her.

"Major Carter," he acknowledged, but when she tried to speak again he held up his hand. "Do not incriminate yourself with words."

"I… wasn't going to," Sam replied, "but thanks." He began to walk again and she moved quickly to walk beside him. "You're not going to turn me in," she observed after a moment; he nodded so she asked: "Why not?"

"There are some things I refuse to cover up," Cain responded shortly.

"They're poisoning the land by the Stargate, aren't they?" Sam asked. "To make sure no-one has survived the war."

Cain answered: "They have attacked the plains with deadly gases for three decades. They know no-one has survived."

"Three decades…?"

"It was how they won the war. Now they are making the land of the Dueteri a toxic wasteland; they cannot bear even to leave their souls to peace."

"Surely there are others who want to stop the pollution?" Sam asked, frowning at the despair engraved onto his face.

"Others?" Cain echoed. "No… the officials see the propaganda as a precious tool of their influence. They guided our people through the war and insist there is still a threat. The people believe them."

"But if you told them the truth…" Carter began. Cain shook his head and once again his sorrow silenced her.

They didn't speak again until they had reached the entrance of a small, sturdy building. It hung precariously over the roads below, only partly embedded in the mountain rock.

"I will be back shortly with news of how soon you may leave. Colonel O'Neill is resting in there," Cain told her, indicating; "I left Gale to see to him."

"I bet the Colonel's loving that," Sam remarked with irony as he left. She turned, and made her way into the building.

---------------------

"I think we should make sure Sarai is okay," Daniel said to Teal'c. They had just finished their scanty meal and people were dispersing to go about their evening chores. There had been no sign of Sarai since they had arrived back here at the caves.

Teal'c made to reply but was interrupted by the bright, enthusiastic tones of Yosef, who called, "Teal'c! Doctor Jackson!"

Daniel glanced at Teal'c and they stood as Yosef and his companions approached.

"The council have agreed to hear you," he reported triumphantly. "You will come, of course?"

"Now?" Daniel asked.

"Yes," Yosef replied, his smile faltering at Daniel's apparent reluctance. "Oh, I'm sorry!" he added a second later, smile reinstated, "I haven't introduced you! This is Hoshea and Caleb. They are brothers. Hoshea, Caleb, this is Doctor Daniel Jackson and Teal'c."

"We know, thank you, Yosef," Hoshea smiled. Caleb made no such effort to disguise his impatience, saying,

"They are waiting. Are you going to come or not?"

Teal'c saw his bluntness and raised it. "I am not," he said.

"Uh, Teal'c?" asked Daniel, anxious not to arouse ill feeling before they had even entered the council chamber.

"I believe I may better spend my time here," Teal'c responded evenly. "I shall enquire upon the wellbeing of Sarai."

"Well, sure, okay," Daniel replied. "See you later, Teal'c."

Teal'c bowed his head and Daniel allowed Yosef, Hoshea and Caleb to lead him to the council.

---------------

Jack was asleep. Vivid images ran around his mind in full stereo, making up for the lack of real-life scenes during the day. He sat upright, back against the smoothly plastered wall, long legs stretched out in front of him and arms loosely folded across his chest. His head had lolled sideways slightly, his hat tugged down at an angle.

When the door opened his subconscious quietly woke him. Instinct kept him still, though later he would assign his lack of movement to a non-existent headache. It would be his attempt to displace the blame, because he should have shifted sooner, let her know he was awake.

She didn't speak and from the purposely light footfalls, she was taking care not to disturb him. She crossed the room and stopped. There was a pause in which O'Neill wondered what she was doing… but then she was moving closer to him, kneeling down in front of him.

He had almost made up his mind to speak when he felt a cool liquid touch on his eyelid; relief quelled his burning nerves. A gentle finger smoothed the ointment over his closed eye and he found himself relaxing again as warm, calloused hands came carefully up to his cheek. She seemed even closer to him as she reached for his other eye, governed by precise, controlled movements even he had to admire.

And then – holy crap – her hand was on his _thigh_, exerting an electric pressure as the whole of her upper body moved in for closer contact. His face, his body suddenly felt hot again, even as she pressed a cool piece of material against his forehead. He could smell her. Jeez, he was sharing the same air as her, they were that close. An earthy scent, undeniably feminine but uncompromising, war-tainted, _familiar_…

He jerked when he realised it was Carter.

She moved back, startled, hand instantly removed from his thigh. It left behind a shameful tingle that he forced himself to ignore as his eyes flew open to meet hers. Light assaulted him but he stared it out until he found Sam's face in the blur.

"Colonel – sir, did I wake you?"

He could hear her embarrassment as she quickly stood, taking a step back to put some distance between them, allow the air to clear.

"Sorta, yeah," Jack answered, sarcasm forming a razor edge. He rubbed his eyes vigorously. They were beginning to hurt, just like his head. "Jeez, Carter – don't go around waking old men up like that, you'll give us all heart attacks!"

"Sorry sir."

And, despite it all, he really wished he could see her well enough to catch sight of that blush.

"Couldn't you have waited until I was awake?"

"Sorry sir," she said again, fiddling unnecessarily with the tube of ointment. In an attempt to explain herself she continued: "But I read the label of the medication. It only works with regular application and I didn't know when you'd last had treatment. I figured it would be best to administer the ointment ASAP."

His answer to that was instantaneous. "Okay, couldn't you have _woken me_?"

She didn't reply and an awkward silence fell. Mentally, Sam was caught between resenting his ungratefulness and scolding herself for taking inappropriate action. She reminded herself firmly that it had been necessary; she had a responsibility towards him, one that surpassed military guidelines. With a vast sinking feeling, she realised that he knew it too - and it made him uncomfortable. She made him uncomfortable.

Jack sighed and eventually spoke.

"You startled me, that's all. You know me and surprises, Carter – though you'd have thought I'd get used to them by now, all those dealings with the Tok'ra. I swear, they've started making up new complications with the galaxy, just to surprise me."

At that, Sam put herself back in line. He was comfortable enough to joke with her; she had just got too close, that was all, pushed it a little far. She was just relieved he wasn't going to dwell.

"Yes sir."

Jack noticed the touch of a smile that accompanied her response.

_Probably thinking of Martouf._

He was startled by the flash of jealousy that accompanied that thought. This was too much. His 2IC had leaned a little too near and he was suddenly feeling _jealous_? What right did he have to feel jealous? Sheesh, what next? An encounter with a green-eyed monster? He'd be _seeing red_ anytime now. Darn clichés.

He pushed on with the conversation. "Talking of surprises, what have you got for me?"

Sam looked over at him, unsure of his tone. "Sir?"

"You said something about these people being responsible for those gases by the Gate? I'd say that was a pretty nasty surprise." His explanation was level and calmly he added: "And now I get the feeling you have more nasty surprises. Feel inclined to share the information you've no doubt uncovered?"

"Well," she began, "it looks like I was right, sir."

"Oh, well, no surprises there, then," O'Neill remarked with a grin. Carter figured it was best to let that slip.

"The toxins originate from this city," she went on. "They've been pumping out gases since the war ended – according to Cain, that was thirty years ago."

"Thirty years ago?" Jack repeated. "Major, those people couldn't have been dead for more than a month."

"I thought that too, sir, but it's possible that something in the atmosphere is preserving the corpses. It could be something in these gases or even something in the chamber itself."

"Alright, so they've been dead thirty years. Why keep on poisoning?"

"To make a point," Carter answered grimly. "It sounds as though the Triyan government want to ensure that no-one forgets that their enemies deserve to die."

"Nice." He sighed. "What does this mean for us?"

"Well, sir," Sam replied, "I suppose it puts us in a moral dilemma. If those gases were used to exterminate the people who lived in that city, we're dealing with perpetrators of a genocide. If that's not the case, we're at least looking at a people who are doing a great deal to pollute a significant amount of their planet's ozone layer." Another silence threatened. Unwilling to risk it, she added: "Colonel, there's another concern."

"What is it, Carter?"

"I overheard Cain arguing with one of the government officials. He was trying to get the plant shut down for good; the official denied the request. I got the impression that Cain had been arguing his corner ever since the war."

"We've found someone who's not a xenophobic mass murderer," Jack replied, unappreciative of her apparent pessimism. "How is that a concern?"

"One of the points of his argument was that the winds are about to change, bringing the toxins down onto the plains around the Stargate. I can only guess at the amount of damage that could cause; there is absolutely no cover down there."

Jack groaned, tilting his head back against the wall as he deciphered the gravity of her tone. "Daniel and Teal'c."

"Yes, sir," Sam confirmed.

"Alright, we know that they have access to the Gate, right?"

"We assume so, sir, yes."

"Right," said Jack, ignoring the fact it was only an assumption, "so all we have to do is let them know that they gotta get out of there."

"Uh, Colonel… we don't have any way of doing that."

"I know that, Carter," O'Neill replied, attempting to disguise his impatience, "I want you to find one."

"Yes, sir."

"Go and talk to the scientists here, pretend to be interested in their cause. If there's any way we can get back to the Gate quicker, grab it, but we have to make sure Daniel and Teal'c are safe."

"Yessir," Sam answered, taking that as her cue to depart. As she moved towards the door, she informed him: "Cain said he'd be back to ask some questions. He's not on their side, sir. Maybe he can help."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jack nodded. "Keep in radio contact and do me a favour, will you?"

She turned back from the doorway. "Sir?"

"If I'm asleep when you get back, wake me up before ya start playin' Doctors and Nurses."

She attempted to gauge the subtext behind his words but his expression was impossible to read. She lingered with a "yes, sir," but he took no notice, settling back down with his legs stretched out, his arms loosely folded and his eyelids firmly closed.

Sam hesitated for a few seconds longer, debating a response. She considered him, then hastily disregarded the notions of handsome grace that crossed her consciousness. Sam looked away, forcing her thoughts back within the boundaries she had drawn herself.

Then she turned, and quickly headed off to carry out his orders.

* * *

_**A/N:** Hope you enjoyed this part! I certainly did. I hope everyone's having a good holiday. Part 10 soon..._


	10. Gravity

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** Daniel tries to persuade the Dueteri council to evacuate whilst Teal'c makes a discovery. Meanwhile, Sam tours the Triyan science facilities.  
**Notes:** If all goes to plan, this will be the penultimate part to the story.  
**Feedback:** I'm hoping there are still people out there reading this, so review if you are!

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

**-Part 10-  
**_Gravity_

The council had only been in session for ten minutes but already Daniel was losing hope of ever getting through to these people. It was a typical barrier of fear that prevented them from seeing reason and Daniel knew that fear was a strong emotion. They would not be swayed easily.

Teal'c, meanwhile, was navigating his way through the numerous passageways through the underground shelter. He had a vague idea of the direction in which Sarai had gone and knew that a methodical search would uncover her location before long. Though usually a peaceful man, Teal'c had become anxious to locate O'Neill and Major Carter; moving through the underground corridors gave him a sense of advancing toward that end.

After half an hour of searching, he decided to seek the aid of a young girl. He recognised her to be the child sent out to greet them after the incident with the transporter and when she asked what he was doing he responded: "I am endeavouring to find Sarai. She is your grandmother, is she not?"

Smiling up at him curiously, the little girl answered: "How do you know that?"

"I have spoken with her," he explained. "I wish to speak with her again."

"She is sleeping," the girl told him. "We're not supposed to disturb her."

Teal'c replied, "very well," and made to retrace his steps towards the main chamber. The little girl dashed in front of him and he stopped. He tilted his head as she beamed at him.

"You're not from here."

"I am not," Teal'c confirmed.

"Are you Triyan?"

"No. I am not from this world."

"Oh." Her smile brightened. "Even better."

"How so, child?"

She giggled. "My name is Ailah, not 'child'. You're very strange, you know."

"Perhaps to you," Teal'c responded with the smallest hint of humour in his tone; "just as you are strange to me."

"Some people think you're Triyan, but I think you're even stranger than that," Ailah commented. "If you do come from another world, what are you doing here?"

Teal'c replied: "I am here in search of my friends."

"Yes," Ailah laughed, "but why did you come through the Cosmic Circle in the first place?"

"We are explorers," Teal'c informed her.

"I'm an explorer, too," Ailah told him proudly. "Me and my best friend Nathan, we explore all around the place! It's so boring in these caves. We're not supposed to go out because of the bad air but we're _adventurers_."

She studied him a moment with an expression of deep consideration; then she caught his hand. "Come on," she exclaimed, tugging earnestly. "I've got something important to show you."

-----------------------------

Sam paused outside the building and looked back. He'd woken up. He'd woken up. Had he even been asleep? Damn, what if he'd been awake the whole time? She closed her eyes but that didn't make any of it seem less real: instead she was reminded of how good it had felt to be close to him, touching him; her face close to his, taking in every wonderful detail; the soft skin on his eyelids reacting to her touch; his leg beneath her grasp, tensing…

_Oh, no._

Feeling abashed and slightly ill, Sam opened her eyes, gripping her P-90 more tightly than usual. She felt tense - so tense she wished she was back home, firing some rounds in the practice range.

And then Gale appeared, and Sam wondered if she would have enough self-restraint not to start shooting now.

"Major Carter." Each syllable was expressly uttered in the harshest way possible. "Where, in all Triya, have you been?"

Sam began to formulate an excuse but Gale had no patience for it.

"Never mind!" she exclaimed, sighing loudly. "Are you going to come and look at our technology or not?"

Forcing a smile, Sam replied: "Yes, please, lead the way."

Gale did so, striding ahead briskly. Sam smiled a little; if Gale thought a member of SG-1 would have trouble keeping pace, she was to be disappointed. This was nothing compared to a march with Colonel O'Neill.

Before long they had reached the central building in the manufacturing quarter. They entered through a security checkpoint which called for Sam to leave her weapon at the door; with recent discoveries she was less than inclined to do so, but it was clearly the only way get inside. Gale watched with satisfaction as her visitor was disarmed.

Inside, the building was immense. Open plan floor space with no partitions, it was reminiscent of an Air Force hangar during wartime: dozens of people all attending to different tasks, clustering around tables and running between work stations. At the far end sparks were flying in some kind of dramatic demonstration.

"So this is a control centre?" Sam asked, taking in the confusion and movement around her.

Gale nodded shortly. "All of our technology projects are directed from here, under supervision of the Council."

"The Council of what?" Sam enquired, feeling that she already knew. Gale failed to answer, striding forwards through the maze of work stations. Sam followed her to a bench near the side wall, where a young man sat alone, inspecting a blob of silvery metal through an electronic lense.

Gale cleared her throat. He looked up and visibly paled.

"Gale," he exclaimed, "what are you doing here? I mean… oh - hello." His face warmed again as he noticed Sam; he smiled amiably. "You're the alien visitor, aren't you?"

"That's right," Sam replied, returning his smile.

"Matthew, stop flirting," Gale snapped, "you're embarrassing yourself."

He blinked at her. "All I said was 'hello'."

Gale reprimanded him with a severe look and said, "Major Carter and her commander are here on the condition that they help out, so see that she does something useful. Don't you start being lazy, either."

Matthew gazed back at her with an expression of polite confusion; she shook her head and stalked away. Matthew watched her go; then, letting out a controlled breath, turned his attention back to Sam.

"My fiancée," he cringed. "I tell you, the rest of my life is _doomed_."

"Why are you marrying her?" Sam enquired. "If you're not so keen on the idea, I mean."

"No man is capable of saying 'no' to that woman," he replied. "We're all far too scared." He smiled; Sam smiled back.

"What are you working on?" she asked, craning her neck to gain a better view of the metal beneath his lense.

"Something fascinating but probably of no practical use whatsoever," Matthew told her cheerily. "When the Stargate connected on your arrival, we were startled into resuming our research. We'd assumed that something had happened during the war that rendered it inactive. Anyway, I found an old sample along with the files."

"That's metal from the Stargate?"

"Yes. Well, not from the Stargate itself; there were traces in the soil. That was before the new defences were installed, of course." His gaze shifted thoughtfully down to the ball of metal. "It's not like any other metal I've ever seen."

Sam gestured towards the lense. "May I?"

"Of course."

Matthew swivelled the machine around to face her. After a brief glance through the lense and a mental assessment of the electronic readings, Sam nodded. "Yes; that's naquada, the Gate element. Very powerful; very dangerous."

"You've come across it?"

"Oh yes," Sam replied. "Naquada has a number of uses. We have an enemy, the Goa'uld; they use naquada in a lot of their technology. They mine it quite extensively throughout the galaxy."

"What about you? Have your people been able to put it to use?"

"We're still experimenting," Sam told him, "but yes, we've developed a method of refinement."

"Fascinating."

Sam smiled at his enthusiasm. "Yes, it is - but maybe we should…?"

"Oh! The gravity alternators, of course." Matthew touched a button on the side of the electronic lense and a container rose up from its base to encapsulate the naquada sample. He then touched another button and it disappeared altogether.

"Perhaps you could tell me more about the Stargate on the way?"

Sam reminded herself that however friendly Matthew was, he was still a member of a potentially hostile race; she imagined how Colonel O'Neill would react if she let slip about the explosive potential of naquada. Deciding to keep it purely theoretical, she smiled and nodded.

---------------------------------

"Why won't you _listen_?"

"Daniel Jackson, if you do not calm your tone you will be considered unfit to continue in this debate."

There was a murmuring of agreement around the hall; Daniel closed his eyes for a moment and summoned the words to apologise.

"I'm sorry," he said, "but you must realise we're trying to help you."

"We understand your intentions are honourable," the leader of the assembly replied, "but we do not appreciate your assumption that you know what is best for us."

"That's not what it's about," Daniel responded. "We just want to give you another option."

"A better option."

"Yes! I mean, no…"

"We will now consider your proposal. If you'd please step outside the chamber…"

"No, wait, I haven't finished--"

"Doctor Jackson, please. We have done all you asked of us in listening to your argument."

Daniel looked around the assembled Dueteri and could not deny that they had. He nodded reluctantly and, after a word of thanks, made his way out. He looked up as Sarai's voice greeted him.

"I take from your dispirited expression that it did not go well."

"Well, they listened," Daniel sighed, slowing to a halt in front of her, "but I don't think I got through to them in any practical sense."

"They're scared," Sarai consoled, patting Daniel on the arm, "and there's no man I know that could dissuade a people from their fear."

"Will you come with us?" Daniel asked, looking to her for the remnants of hope.

"When you leave?" Sarai replied. "Oh, I don't think so, Daniel. I'm an old woman and I should stay with my people."

"What about your family?"

"I could never ask them to do what I will not."

"So none of you will leave," Daniel sighed. "Right." He turned away slightly, taking hold of his radio and speaking into it: "Teal'c?" He waited. When there was no response, he tried again: "Teal'c, this is Daniel, do you read me?"

He was about to try again when Teal'c responded. "I read you, Daniel Jackson. I must urge you to come to the surface immediately."

"I have Sarai with me at the moment," Daniel began.

"Have her accompany you. There is something you both must see."

------------------------------

The most incredible thing about the gravity alternators, Sam thought, was the way they looked so familiar. Every piece of Triyan technology looked so much like something out of a 1960s sci-fi film that it was just eerie. She peered down into the bowels of the alternator below, its turbines moving graciously in unison beneath a force shield.

"The problems we're experiencing are a result of flaws in the design," Matthew explained. "The alternators were made before the war and were only really intended for short-term field generation while we created more efficient means to operate them. We didn't expect to need them to survive for so long."

"What happens if the alternators fail?" Sam asked, drawing her gaze away from the turbines and looking to Matthew for a response. His face was grave and so was his answer.

"The alternators provide the gravity fields that support most of our domestic quarter," he said. "We would have enough reserve power to evacuate if the alternators stopped without warning, but thousands of people would be left homeless."

Sam thought about that. No matter what their government was doing, these people still had a right to life, the basic needs of which required shelter. In her mind, Daniel's voice listed half a dozen other factors to consider and she had to concede; on a humanitarian level, she should offer her help.

Matthew was pointing to a row of fans on one side of the metal cavern below.

"The cooling system uses recycled air to blow across the metal of the turbines. The force shield we're looking through is airtight, but this means that over the years the temperature of the air has increased. We've had to slow production in order to prevent the system overheating and the alternator elements fusing together."

"How have you compensated for the loss in field production?"

"The back-up alternator," Matthew replied, "but now we're dependent on both alternators. We should have stopped the first to conduct repairs when we had chance."

"So essentially you need to lower the temperature in the core," Sam clarified; Matthew nodded. She thought for a moment, then said, "Have you considered liquid coolant?"

"It was to be incorporated into the improved design," Matthew answered, "but to install a piping system to the elements now would be impossible."

"You don't necessarily have to change the whole cooling system," Sam replied; "you could just add to it. Maybe you should try cooling the air instead of the elements themselves."

Matthew thought for a moment, and gradually his face lightened as possibilities were made conceivable in his mind. "Yes," he murmured. "Yes, we were looking for the answer in the wrong place. We should be looking at the wider system instead of the heat being generated in the core elements. We saw the effect but ignored the cause."

"Easily done," Sam smiled. "Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"Oh, much," Matthew replied with an eager nod; he beckoned her away from the alternator and over to a computer workstation, where he removed one of the drives from the open unit; taking a small, hand-held device, he slotted the drive inside and handed the device to Sam.

"Schematics for all our problem areas," he informed her, "including detailed reports by our scientists."

"Great," Sam enthused. "Can I take these back to the guest room?"

"Of course," Matthew smiled obligingly. "I assume you'll want to pick up your weapons first?"

"Yes," nodded Sam. As they made their way out of the alternator building and back towards the city centre, she commented casually: "The atmospheric conditions of your planet are really quite remarkable."

"Oh?" asked Matthew pleasantly. "How so?"

"When we arrived, the difference between the purity of the air around the Stargate and over the old Dueteri city was quite startling," Sam answered. "I couldn't work out why there would be such contradictory readings."

"Ah." Matthew frowned; then he sighed. "It's been like that since the war. We think there was some kind of catastrophic explosion that caused a reaction within their generators. The toxins just haven't stopped since."

"Matthew," Sam said after a moment, "have you ever seen an explosion cause that kind of mass pollution over such a duration of time?"

"Well, no - not aside from that one - but the Dueteri had different technology to us. They used energy crystals; we have much more straight-forward approaches to engineering."

"So you don't know what your government is doing," Sam said, coming to a halt. Matthew stopped and turned towards her with a confused smile. His expression fell when he heard Sam's grave elaboration.

"Your government is pumping toxins into the ruins of the Dueteri city. Aside from the clear environmental implications, I've learned that the winds are about to bring the pollution down onto the plains near the Stargate. I don't even want to think about the type of damage that could do to anyone trying to access the Gate."

Matthew was looking at her as if she had gone mad. "I'm sorry, Major," he said, "but I think you've been wildly misinformed."

Sam looked at him. "I've seen the Atmospheric Modification Plant."

"No, no," Matthew answered, his expression clearing: "that's for regulating the atmosphere up here in the mountains, to compensate for the thinness of the air."

"Then why is it certified by the Triyan Council of International Warfare?" Sam challenged. "Why is it hidden away in the backstreets of the city centre? And why has Cain been petitioning to close it?"

Matthew had no response for that and Sam took the opportunity to continue: "It was the way they won the war. They exterminated the Dueteri by making their air unbreatheable. You have to stop it before the damage to your planet's atmosphere becomes permanent."

"I'm sorry, I just don't believe that. You have only just arrived on our world and you're making assumptions about a war you know nothing about! Maybe indiscriminate killing is how you settle things on your planet, Major, but it's not how the people of Triya behave. We respect all our counterparts."

"And that's why they're all dead?"

The challenge hung threateningly in the air for a long, painful moment. Eventually Matthew's face harshened. "I think you should go back to your guest accommodation," he told her coolly.

Sam looked at him a moment, then nodded slowly. "I'll pick up my equipment first."

"Fine." He began to walk and Sam caught up with him.

"I still want to help," she said, an apology in her eyes. "That's what I was trying to do by telling you what I know."

"Yes, well…" Matthew looked as though he didn't really know how to take that, his unbelief rocked for a moment by her clear sincerity. "I'd rather keep to science, if you don't mind."

"Right," Sam sighed as he started to walk again. "Science."

And she wondered just how much it would take to open his eyes to his government's crime.

* * *

_**A/N:** The next part should see the conclusion of the story. Then again, I'm not sure how long it will end up being, so I may split it into two parts. Either way, we're drawing to a close, but I hope you're still enjoying it enough to stick with it. :)_


	11. Better Ways

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Summary:** And now, the conclusion…  
**Notes:** Warning, this chapter is more than twice as long as any other part of this story. So settle down in front of your screen, and prepare yourself for the finale. (Epilogue to follow.)  
**Feedback:** I'm hoping there are still people out there reading this, so review if you are! Come on, you know you want to.

_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

* * *

**-Part 11-  
**_Better Ways_

"Carter?"

"Still here, sir."

"I know. Whatcha doing?"

About an hour had passed since Sam had arrived back at their guest room. She had promptly told O'Neill about Matthew's denial of the situation and admitted they were no closer to finding a way to contact the other half of their team. Jack had encouraged her to keep looking for a way but told her she should rest a while first.

"I'm looking through the schematics of the technology the Triyans want help with," she explained, moving back and forth across Jack's gradually improving field of vision. "I think they're hoping I can lend a hand with fixing it. All of it."

"And can you?" Jack enquired.

"Well actually, sir, I think I can."

"Why so surprised, Carter?"

She paused for a moment in thought. "I suppose I'd been expecting their technology to be way in advance of our own," Sam told him. "I thought it would be unlike anything we've come across in the past -- after all, there's no evidence of Goa'uld interference here -- but their technology is incredibly similar to that of Earth. A few decades ahead of us, maybe, but even their weaponry seems to be projectile."

"They have guns?"

"Like ours," Carter nodded, "yes sir. And this gravity field generator -- they call it an alternator -- it's really not that far removed from the developments NASA have been making in their research. The war here was a catalyst for some incredible technological advancements."

"Cool," said Jack, wondering if they would be able to persuade Cain to let them 'borrow' the schematics currently in Carter's hands. He could imagine himself floating weightlessly through the SGC with a mini gravity alternator strapped to his chest.

"Now the thing I don't get," Sam was saying, pacing again, "is why it's all so different from the remains of the city near the Gate. Whilst the Triyans are using electricity and mechanical engineering, the Dueteri were using nuclear power and energy weapons."

"How do you even know that?" Jack asked, looking at her through the haze of his eyes. "The place was a pile of rubble."

"Colonel, the residual radiation showed a lot of nuclear activity there at one time. The scale of the destruction just confirms it - there was evidence of a massive chain reaction."

Jack frowned at her. "I thought you said they were all poisoned?"

"Yes sir," Sam agreed, "but the city itself was destroyed by a massive power overload."

"And yet you didn't mention this while we were there?"

"With respect, sir, I thought there was enough devastation to be getting on with, without dragging out the reasons."

There was a pause but Jack didn't allow it develop, pushing on with, "Alright, but how can you tell what kind of weapons they used?"

Carter had an answer for that, too. "The device that transported us here -- it used a beam, an energy weapon."

"Of course it did," Jack sighed, both exasperated and enamoured by her unceasing logic. "Okay, so what does this all mean in real terms?"

"Well, sir, it shows a divergence in technology uncharacteristic of cultures cohabiting the same planet. It's not like they were isolated from each other, either." Sam paused; then (to Jack's vague irritation) began to move again. "I just don't understand how two cultures of the same race can be at the same level of advancement but with technologies that are so totally different."

"We'll ask Daniel when we get home," Jack replied, waving the perplexity away. "Sit down, will you? All I can see is this blur of you pacing back and forth -- it's making me edgy."

"Sorry, sir."

He rolled his eyes at her apology but she didn't seem to notice, sitting down beside him closer than he had been expecting. He had no desire to question her proximity, however; so they sat, shoulder-to-shoulder in a room suspended over nothing. In his mind, Jack O'Neill had already fallen.

----------------

It took Daniel and Sarai about fifteen minutes to reach the co-ordinates they had been given. Teal'c stood waiting with his staff weapon gripped tightly in one hand; Ailah smiled proudly beside him.

"Ailah!" Sarai called as they came into sight. "What are you doing, out here in the bad air?"

"Exploring," Ailah beamed. "I wanted to show Teal'c my discovery."

"Discovery?" asked Daniel.

Teal'c confirmed: "Indeed. I believe it may be important to our plight, Daniel Jackson."

"This way!" Ailah called, having already started to make her way along the over-grown trail further into the trees. Teal'c took up his staff weapon and strode after her; Daniel glanced at Sarai and they followed.

The foliage grew thicker as they walked. Ailah ducked easily beneath the low branches but the others experienced more difficulty. Teal'c's staff weapon kept the leaves at bay until at last they emerged in a small clearing. In front of them stood a pillar, tall and weathered and covered in vines.

Daniel circled it, a small frown line appearing at the centre of his brow.

"Sarai, have you ever seen anything like this before?" he asked, pausing in front of the stone again.

"I do not recognise its form," she said, "but the writings are familiar to me."

"Yeah," said Daniel. "Me too."

Sarai stepped forward beside him as he brushed aside a layer of the vine and traced the engraved runes.

"What is the significance to these writings?" Teal'c prompted.

"They're Norse," Daniel replied: "Teal'c… I think these are Asgard."

"Asgard?" Sarai repeated the strange word uneasily. "Is this a bad thing, Daniel?"

"Oh no," Daniel replied, flashing a smile. "The Asgard are a technologically advanced alien race who know a lot about us humans. Trust me, they're some of the good guys."

"Valuable allies," agreed Teal'c, though his tone was heavier than Daniel's. "However, it appears they are no longer here to help us in our current dilemma. This stone appears to be very old."

"Well, you're right about that," Daniel nodded, turning to face the pillar once again. "Still, it must be here for a reason… Sarai, where do you know these writings from?"

"The museum," Sarai replied. "There were stones, I catalogued them when I volunteered to work there in my youth."

"Baldri," Ailah suddenly said.

"Baldri?" asked Daniel. "What's that?"

"Baldri, the hero of all the old tales," Ailah replied. "Nathan says that in those days they wrote with sticks, on stones."

"She speaks of old Dueteri legend," Sarai added. "Is it of meaning to you?"

"Baldri," Daniel echoed. "Baldri… The Norse god Baldr! Yes! Baldr, the gentle god, the god of peace!"

"What happened to this Baldr?" enquired Teal'c, tilting his head slightly at his friend's sudden enthusiasm.

"In Norse mythology Baldr was accidentally killed by Hoth. Hoth was blind and Loki misled him; afterwards Loki was apprehended by Thor."

"This sounds familiar," Sarai told them. "Though the names are strange, the story is the same. Years ago, my grandparents used to tell me these stories. They believed that our decline into war began when Baldri died."

"That would make sense," Daniel nodded. "No-one to keep a close eye on the planet and its two human settlements, no-one to persuade them not to start acting against their rivals."

"Could this legend be in fact the true events of Asgard politics?" Teal'c asked.

"Why not?" was Daniel's immediate response. "We know that the real Loki fell out of favour with Thor. If there was a fire fight in which the Asgard Hoth was seeking guidance from Loki, things could easily have gone wrong. Even if that didn't happen, Baldr might have been called back to the Asgard's home galaxy; for all we know, the legend was started to explain the absence of Baldr from an active presence on our two planets."

"But Baldr is gone," Sarai said; "what can this mean for us now?"

"It means we can contact the Asgard and tell them what's happened," Daniel explained earnestly. "They can clean up your atmosphere and you can carry on living here. They might even been able to help with your genetic diseases."

Sarai's face was lit with a hope she had not felt in an age. With renewed strength she scooped her granddaughter up in her arms and smiled at the ancient pillar of stone before her. The old gods were here to answer their prayers once again.

---------------

Colonel O'Neill and Major Carter had been sitting in relative silence for going on half an hour. It was a companionable silence in which Sam worked and Jack dozed; O'Neill had found that the more he slept, the easier it became to see. At last Sam checked her watch and decided to wake him for treatment. He grunted when she spoke his name and grumbled when she nudged him, but a few minutes later they were in silence again, Jack rubbing ointment onto his eyes as Sam continued her research.

They both looked up as the door opened.

"Cain," said Sam, rising to her feet.

"Major Carter," he greeted; "Colonel. How are you feeling?"

"Oh, y'know," Jack said, offering up a false smile. "Blind."

Sam glanced at him but his smile didn't falter. Until now he had refused to use such a strong word for his condition. It seemed that with the promise of fully restored vision, Jack was willing to play to his temporary disability.

"Cain?" Sam asked, reading his expression with a frown. "What's wrong?"

"It seems one of our scientists has found out about our government's pollution of the plains," he told them after closing the door. "They are accusing me of spreading discord amongst the people."

"Um," said Sam. "No… that was me."

Cain sighed. "No matter, I suppose. It is better the people know. Unfortunately, they have been convinced by officials that it is no more than vicious rumour. I fear all chances of stopping the pollution are now gone."

"Then we're going to have to pull them back," Jack responded, rising unsteadily from the floor. "Ya see, Cain, there's something we didn't tell you before."

"We came through the Stargate with two other people," Sam explained; "the other half of our team. There's a very good chance they're on the plains looking for us, but we have no way of warning them about the toxins."

Cain opened his mouth to speak but Jack interrupted him with a raised hand calling for quiet. He listened intently. "Or maybe we do."

Fingers tracing the walls for balance, O'Neill made his way out of the door; Carter and Cain followed quickly, and a moment later the three of them stood together outside.

Jack glanced at Sam. "You hear that, Carter?"

She concentrated for a moment, then looked back at him, wide-eyed. "That sounds like a UAV." She shielded her eyes against the bright mountain sunlight and followed the sound. Suddenly she pointed to the sky, and a small winged craft as it came into view.

"There it is, Colonel!"

"I'll have to take your word on that, Major," Jack answered with a grin. He picked up his radio and spoke into it: "SGC, this is SG-1, come in." A pause. "SGC, this is O'Neill. Daniel, Teal'c, can you here me?"

"Jack!"

"Daniel! Way to go with the UAV, buddy!"

"Thanks, but you should be thanking Teal'c. Where are you?"

"The device sent us to a mountain settlement. Don't worry, we're fine. Well, Carter's fine." He threw her a resentful glance. "Anyway, listen, you have to get out of there."

"It's alright," Daniel replied, "we know that the air's full of toxins, but look, we found evidence that this used to be an Asgard-protected planet. We're hoping we can contact them for help."

This time it was Sam who replied. "There's no time for that, Daniel," she said. "As soon as the winds change, you'll be completely bombarded by the poisonous gases. You have to get back to the SGC."

A pause. Then: "We can't leave these people here."

"People?" asked Jack. "What do you mean, people?"

"The Dueteri," Daniel replied. "They're living in caves but they'll die out if they stay here."

At this revelation Jack was ready to turn on Cain and demand to know what the hell was going on, but Cain had gone very white. Shakily, he reached for the ground and sat down on the step.

"How long?" Jack asked him. Cain looked at him, dazed, but Jack pressed: "How long until the winds change?"

"Half a day," he said. "Maybe less."

"You hear that, Daniel? You've got less than half a day to get those people out. If they don't want to go, then I am ordering you to evacuate. Do you read? I am ordering you to get your butts back to the SGC."

"It's not as simple as that," Daniel protested.

"Daniel…"

"No, Jack, listen to me! There's a barrier protecting the Gate. We can't get through. The only reason the UAV managed it was because Teal'c found a way to take out one section of its weaponry."

"Barrier?" Sam asked Cain. He nodded, still pale.

"A treaty was made," he said, "a treaty I helped to forge. Before the war we had one last go at peace. We built a barrier to protect both sides of the border. It can only be disabled by consensus."

"Can we do it?" Jack wanted to know. "Can we find a way to deactivate it?"

"I believe so. They must find their control panel, as must we. Theirs will be located where the barrier ends."

"Daniel, did you get that?" Jack asked into the radio. When Daniel confirmed it, he said, "We'll do our best. You do yours."

"That's the plan," Daniel replied. "What about you guys?"

"We'll follow if we can," Jack said, "but don't wait around for us. Your priority is to get yourselves out."

--------------

Back in the clearing, Daniel gave Jack a brief word of acknowledgement before turning to Sarai.

"Do you know about this control panel?" he asked, noting the renewed fear in her eyes with a wave of compassion.

"It's in the city," she said. "I'll show you."

It didn't take them long to get there. Ailah somehow managed to hitch a ride on Teal'c's shoulders, much to Daniel's amusement. The Jaffa gave the simple explanation of, "The child may otherwise slow our pace," and Daniel had to hide his grin behind a serious nod.

They slowed as the ruined city walls came into view. Teal'c bent down to allow Ailah to slide off his back; Sarai took the girl by the hand and said, "This is the place our people once lived. This is the city of the old tales."

Ailah's young eyes travelled solemnly over the scene of destruction ahead of her. The city she had so often dreamed about did not stand shining and resplendent, but blackened and crumbling, blanketed by thick, black smoke. The barrier sliced through the heart of the place, severing it in two.

"I wanted you to see this before we left," Sarai whispered to her granddaughter, quiet pain moving her tone of voice. "You see, Ailah, we are going far away from our homeland. We are going to a new world."

"A better world?"

"A better world," Sarai smiled, a dash of sadness in her eyes. "Go, now. You must tell all our family of what you have learnt. You must describe to your friends what you have seen here and persuade them to come with us to the new and better world."

Ailah nodded with open understanding of the enormity of her task. Teal'c knelt close to her and said, "I will accompany you, Ailah." The girl placed a hand on his arm in thanks; and when she climbed once more onto the Jaffa's shoulders, the spectacle had shed its humour for a heartbreaking display of poignancy.

"Good luck," said Daniel. Teal'c bowed his head, and they left.

O'Neill's first order was to gather their packs. Cain stood by, unspeaking, as the two military members of SG-1 shouldered their gear. Then they turned to him with an expectant look and he said,

"We did not believe that any had survived. We did not think it possible. There was no retaliating strike, no crippling response that I, at least, had expected." He shook his head. "They had alien technologies from a race that had visited long before our arrival on here. The Triyan people are relatively new to this world. We think our ancestors fled from another planet through the Stargate, but we have since forgotten how to use it."

"Lucky old universe," Jack muttered.

"Yes," Cain agreed, his tone turning bitter; "the universe is fortunate indeed that my people are unable to wreak such destruction elsewhere. I was ambassador to the Dueteri. I loved them as my own people. I left behind a wife and an unborn child when the war began, returning here in hope of deterring the full assault. But the Triyan are a selfish race: they would not listen."

Sam dropped her head a moment and Jack found himself drawn in by her sympathy.

"Cain," he said, stepping forward toward the old man and laying a hand on his shoulder. "I know this is tough for you… but if we don't act now, that fate you were scared of? It's going to hit those people again. This time you can make a difference. This time you can save them. We'll take them to another world where they will be safe - but to do that we need to deactivate the barrier. Can you help us with that?"

Cain squared his shoulders with new-found resolve. "I can," he said, and beckoned them outside, where he led them quickly towards the manufacturing quarter. Sam followed closely but Jack was having more difficulty, all the time feeling as though he were peering through a fine mist.

"The master controls are under strict guard," Cain told them. "Even if we get into the chamber, I doubt we'll get out."

"Why not?" asked Jack, but the other two had stopped abruptly. He drew to a halt beside them and heard a voice answer,

"Without the correct codes, the room will be sealed and gas released as soon as the control settings are altered."

"Matthew," said Cain and Sam together. Jack cocked his head to one side.

"Matty," he called to the blurry figure ahead, "heard so much about you. Sadly, squealing to your superiors about us really isn't an option this time."

Sam glanced over at him and saw his right hand, loose at his side, hovering discretely near his zat.

"Colonel," she said quickly, "maybe he can help."

"Help, Carter?"

"Yes sir. He might know how best to get us inside."

"Or he might even know the codes," replied Matthew, gazing at them levelly. "I'm offering to take the barrier down."

"Why?" asked Jack. Cain answered for him.

"Because he knows." He took a step towards the other man and surveyed him closer. "He knows what is at stake."

"Cain is right," Matthew sighed. "Major Carter, when you told me about the pollution, I didn't believe you. But I'm a scientist. When I don't believe something, I run my own tests, do my own research to verify that opinion. I found that you were right -- and more than that, there was evidence that some of the Dueteri may have evacuated before the final strike."

He let that sink in, then continued, "I know how to take down the barrier. More than that, I know how to sabotage the systems to make sure it stays down. You can get to a transporter before the government find out what I've done. You can get out of here."

"How do we know you won't just toddle off to one of your government officials?" Jack demanded, eyeing Matthew suspiciously as his outline became gradually clearer.

"You don't," Matthew replied, "but I can't see any other way for this to work -- can you?"

Jack sighed and removed his cap, running weary fingers through greying hair. "Cain? Do you trust him?"

Cain nodded slowly. "I believe him to be a good man."

"Alright," Jack nodded, tugging his hat back onto his head. "That's settled, then."

Sam looked between them and warned: "It's a big risk, sir."

"I know, Carter," Jack replied. "That's why I'm going with him."

"Colonel…" Sam began, turning more fully towards him in appeal. Her face came into focus and Jack fixed her in his gaze.

"Carter. Go with Cain. Meet Daniel and Teal'c and get out of here."

"Colonel," Carter repeated, "you're still injured. If what Matthew says it right, it's going to take some doing to get in and out in one piece. You can't run if you can't see where you're headed. We have to get that barrier down. If I go, I can give Matthew any military or scientific back-up he needs."

O'Neill considered this with tight-lipped resentment. He hated decisions like this. He didn't want to risk Carter's life, and he didn't need to see her properly to know she understood that. But she was right. For the success of the mission, she would have to go.

"Alright." His nod was reluctant. "You better get going, we don't have much time."

--------------

Daniel and Sarai had found and deactivated the barrier switch with haste. Now, as they made their way back toward the caves, they found themselves subject to a mounting sense of anxiety. Sarai, who had finally begun to understand the imperative need for evacuation, showed all the signs of intense worry; Daniel could only sympathise.

It was something of a surprise when they caught sight of her people on the ridge.

They were gathered in a clearing not far from the caves, murmuring uneasily amongst themselves. The ridge upon which they stood overlooked the road -- the barrier still stood, resolute and forbidding. In the distance, the Stargate was waiting.

"What's going on?" wondered Daniel aloud as they approached. Sarai shook her head, before Ailah came into sight.

"Look -- my granddaughter speaks."

The drew closer and Daniel saw that she was right. Ailah had climbed to the lower branches of a leaning fir tree, standing now with one arm looped over the branch above as she addressed her people. She was telling them of their need to flee, and Daniel was struck by the conviction on her face as she spoke. Teal'c remained near, his strong presence directing attention to the small girl.

Daniel stepped away from the scene as he heard Jack's voice calling him through the radio.

"Daniel, come in."

"I hear you, Jack. What's going on?"

"Carter's gone to get the barrier down from this side. I've just beamed down with a guy that helped us out, I'm just on the other side of the barrier. Are you ready to move?"

"Not yet."

"Daniel!"

"I know, Jack. We'll be ready, but until the barrier is deactivated, it's not going to really matter."

----------------

Carter was unsure whether she would be heard through the yells and rapid zat-fire, but she shouted anyway.

"Matthew! What's taking so long?"

"I'm sorry, Major! They've added more security measures!"

Sam could think of a thousand and one snide remarks to counter that excuse, and suddenly came to understand how Colonel O'Neill felt when she was fiddling with technology under fire. She threw herself against the opposite wall as plaster exploded near her ear; cursing, she shoved her zat back into its holster and grabbed her P-90.

_Phasers set to kill, Mr. Spock._

Oh boy.

Colonel O'Neill often said she should spend an hour in his boots, but that really was going too far.

She propelled herself back to her previous position and opened fire. The first man she hit went down with a yell of surprise, and as his blood hit the blank wall behind Carter had to remind herself that sometimes killing was a necessary means to survival.

------------

Jack had been trying to look relaxed. Hands in pockets, jaw set, expression neutral. He had even managed to resist the urge to check his watch. Standing with Cain on a ridge above the barrier, his gaze travelled across the gully, discerning shapes and varying colours. In the distance, between the trees, shadows moved. He could have sworn they were people.

"You're anxious," Cain observed. Jack tossed him a look, but it lasted only a moment; he sighed and said,

"Yeah. Aren't you?"

"Yes," Cain nodded, and with a sly grin added: "I'm just better at concealing it than you are."

"Yeah, well…" His response was interrupted by a loud, mechanical grinding in the cutting beneath. "What's that?" The ground shuddered underneath their feet and Cain had to grip Jack's arm to stay upright; at the same moment, a blast of air hit them with force and bitter taste.

"Look!" Cain called above the rising wind. Jack followed his gaze and allowed himself the slightest moment of elation as the barrier began to retract into the open road.

There was growing alarm as the gathered Dueteri felt the ground tremble. Sarai, however, didn't hesitate; accompanied by Ailah and a few others Daniel assumed to be her family, she hurried out of the trees to the edge of the ridge. The others followed.

They were confronted by the sight some had hoped for and many had feared: the disappearance of their last protection. Two figures stood triumphantly across the cutting.

"O'Neill!" Teal'c called.

"Teal'c, buddy," Jack replied via the radio. "Good to …see… you." He frowned a moment at the slight inaccuracy of the verb, then gave a big wave. "We'll meet you down by the road. Bring those people, if they're coming home with us."

Teal'c turned to the Dueteri, who were filtering hesitantly out of the trees.

"You cannot deny your need for assistance," he told them. "Come with us."

"We can help you," Daniel added. "You can see for yourself that the barrier can't protect you anymore."

"And look!" Yosef exclaimed, pointing wide-eyed toward the horizon. "The wind brings clouds of poison! We must go!"

Somehow they managed to persuade the panicked group down to the road, where now the grass lay deadened. Having witnessed their only defence disappear before their eyes, they found themselves being grateful for some direction; but as they gathered their wits, their grumbling resumed.

"Well," said Jack as Daniel and Teal'c approached, "_some_ people aren't happy to see us."

"Yeah…" Daniel replied with a grimace. "We haven't quite managed to convince them to come with us yet."

"Time's up, Danny," Jack told him with a stern look. "See the black cloud over there? Well, you may as well call it the black death, because that's what we're going to be in about fifteen minutes: _dead_."

Daniel opened his mouth to respond -- but before he could, a cry went up from within the crowd. They turned to see Sarai bursting forward, tears flowing through the lines in her wrinkled cheeks; and Cain stood, stunned, tears welling up in his own eyes, until he hurried forward into a long-missed embrace.

"His wife," Jack murmured. "He said he left his wife and unborn child behind because of the war."

Daniel gazed at the elderly couple a moment, soaking in their joy; then he turned back to O'Neill.

"Please, Jack, give them one more chance. If they don't want to go after this, then we'll leave."

"Make it snappy," was Jack's serious reply, gesturing Teal'c over to activate the Stargate. "You've got as long as it takes Teal'c to dial home."

Daniel nodded and stepped forward, calling for attention. One by one the Dueteri turned to him and listened to his final address.

It was the same as they had heard half a dozen times before and though Daniel's appeal was heartfelt and eloquent, they remained torn between the threat they knew and the life they didn't. The first to move forward towards the Gate were Sarai's family, led by Ailah; Yosef strode confidently after them, followed by a few of his friends.

The Stargate activated.

"Go on through, Teal'c," Jack called. "Tell Hammond he'll be receiving some refugees."

Teal'c nodded and disappeared through the wormhole. Jack turned to Daniel. "Get these folks to the Gate and send them through."

Daniel considered arguing, but a glance up at the sky told him it would be better not to. So instead he ushered the willing few up to the waiting ring. With words of smiling reassurance, he set them on their way to safety.

The rest of the crowd was moving hesitantly towards the Stargate. Some broke away from the protection of their number and took the risk of running straight into the event horizon, beckoned by Daniel.

"You see that?" Jack called to the rest. He was pointing to the sky, to the oncoming clouds and choking wind. "That leaves you with two options. Run or die." He looked around the group, clouded eyes bearing down upon their fearful reservations. "You're scared of going to a new world? Yeah, I understand that. But let's face it, guys, it can't be much worse than the situation you've got for yourselves here. We've got to go."

More murmuring and hushed discussion. Jack rolled his eyes and sprinted up passed the DHD to Daniel.

"Get back to the SGC, Daniel."

"Jack--"

"That's an order. I'm not having you choke to death for these people."

He thought briefly of pushing the philanthropic linguist through, but by the time he had decided in favour of it, Daniel had already gone.

"Last chance!" he yelled to the remaining Dueteri. "Time's up."

"Brothers!" someone cried. "Sisters! What other choice do we have?"

It worked. At last the people hurried forward, bumping into each other in their haste. The air was growing blacker. If Carter didn't turn up soon…

"Colonel!"

"That's the way, Major!" he found himself muttering as Sam seemed to answer his silent prayer.

Jack didn't let himself feel the relief -- not yet. He couldn't see her properly, but he could hear her voice more clearly than ever, even through the vicious wind. A second later she was beside him, blood staining her fatigues, and he caught her by the shoulder.

"Carter! Y'alright?"

"Yes sir. Matthew stayed to give me a safe passage out. I was worried it hadn't worked."

"No, Carter, it worked fine. Get yourself home."

"Yes sir."

He watched her through tainted vision as she paused to encourage a nervous family as they gazed at the fluctuating event horizon. They stepped through with her, and were gone.

Jack turned and saw the cloud was almost upon them. He beckoned the few Dueteri that were left towards the Gate, and they moved hesitantly towards him. They stopped, but Jack's deadline had been met.

"Trust me," he shouted over the growing gale, "there are better ways to self destruct than this! I'll show 'em to you once we get back -- but for now, let's _go_!"

And as the air began to close around his windpipe, he turned, and stepped through.

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_**A/N:** Now onto the Epilogue!_ -wink- 


	12. Epilogue

**Name:** Better Ways To Self Destruct (aka 'Politics...Oy')  
**Pairing:** Sam/Jack  
**Feedback:** Thanks so much for all you guys who supported me in this by reading and reviewing!  
_**Disclaimer:** Stargate SG1 and the characters are the property of MGM. There is no infringement intended and no profit made._

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**-Epilogue-**

"Sounds like quite an adventure."

Gazing around his flagship team, General Hammond realised once again that no matter how hard he tried, he would never be able to completely conceal the surprise he felt at every SG-1 debriefing. There was always some twist, some unbelievable element to their story. Of course, that was the reason he was so proud of them.

"Yes sir, you could say that."

Cleaned up and rested, the four members of SG-1 sat in their usual places around the Briefing Room table. O'Neill, who had spoken, smiled idly back at the General, sight fully restored. Jack had expressed his everlasting gratitude to Janet Fraiser, whose eye-drops had cleared the last of his impairment.

"Have the Asgard responded to our message yet?" Daniel asked.

"Yes," Hammond replied; "SG-4 established contact just over an hour ago. The Asgard are grateful for what you've done and are willing to help us relocate the refugees. Their only regret was that they couldn't prevent the situation in the first place."

"All I can say is it's a good job we got out when we did," Sam said. "The last UAV readings showed a massive…" She trailed off. The others followed her gaze to find Cain, Sarai and Ailah in the doorway, followed by a very flustered young SF.

"I'm sorry, sir," he spluttered, "they insisted…"

"That's alright, airman," Hammond replied, beckoning the three inside. Ailah, hiding behind her grandmother, peeped out; Jack pulled a face. She stuck her tongue out at him and hid again, giggling. Sam couldn't help but smile.

"We wanted to thank you," Cain announced, an arm around his wife. "Not only for saving our people, but for reuniting our family."

SG-1 smiled back at them. Sarai continued: "After all these years, we can look forward to something more than lingering death. We will have a life of our own and a world of our own. Nothing can express what that means to us."

Ailah chose that moment to emerge, feeling that perhaps she could prove her grandmother wrong. She stood forward, bowing her head at each of them in turn; but when she came to Teal'c, she walked very solemnly over to him. She paused there a moment, then leapt onto his lap, her arms thrown around his neck. The surprise registered on Teal'c's stoic face for a moment, but then his features softened and he gave a rare smile.

"The Asgard are going to keep an eye on you," Daniel told Sarai and Cain.

"And so will we," Jack added with a smile.

"I think we can call this mission a complete success," Hammond said with a decisive nod. "SG-1, dismissed."

Sam glanced at Jack and they shared a smile.

"Yep," Jack said, sighing contentedly, "this is what it's all about."

Sam smiled at him with a certain amount of irony. "Saving people bent on self destruction, sir?"

"Yes, Carter," Jack replied, leaning forward and giving her a surreptitious pat on the shoulder. "That's exactly it."

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_**A/N:** That's the end of it! Thanks to all those who have stuck with this story to the end. I hope you enjoyed it._


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